LOOKING FOR A JOB? - You'll Love This Washington Wisdom

(04/19/2003)

From the: U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook U.S. Department of Labor Employment of bill and account collectors is expected to grow faster than the average, for all occupations through 2010. An increase of 21 to 35 percent as the level of consumer debt continues to rise and as more companies seek to improve their debt collection by contracting with third-party collection agencies. Hospitals and physician's offices are two of the fastest growing areas requiring collectors. With insurance reimbursements not keeping up with cost increases, the health-care industry is seeking to recover more money from patients. Government agencies also are using collectors more to collect on everything from parking tickets to child-support payments and past-due taxes. An increasing number of mergers between collection agencies may reduce the overall growth in the number collectors, as small, less automated agencies are bought, resulting in a bigger, more efficient firm. Here's the NO KIDDING PART: "Contrary to the pattern in most occupations, employment of bill and account collectors tends to rise during recessions, reflecting the difficulty that many people have in meeting their financial obligations. However, success at getting people to repay their debts is better when the economy is good." Continuing unemployment claims are approaching four million. Since July, 2000, 2.2 million manufacturing jobs have been lost.

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