Sign o’ the times: Mental-health professionals in serious demand

Hey, recent college grads. You might want to rethink that business degree dear old dad was so keen on you getting. With the economy deeper in the stinker and stress on the rise, mental-health workers are fast becoming a hot commodity. Social workers and counselors are the seventh-most in-demand profession, according to a new study released by Jobfox, an online recruiting company. That places mental-health workers right behind network administrators and ahead of business analysts on the list of most-wanted job candidates in the United States. The reason? It’s the economy, stupid.

"We’re certainly seeing more demand for mental health services," said Richard Jennings, the director of human resources for Momentum for Mental Health in Santa Clara County, in a press statement from Jobfox. "Agencies like ours that primarily serve the indigent and disadvantaged find that our clients are having a tougher time than ever coping with rising costs for essentials such as food and shelter."

The same need can be felt in the Twin Cities. According to Career Builder, there are more than 40 job openings in the metro area for social workers.