Employment in state still relatively robust

As the nation struggles with an economic downturn, you can at least say one thing for Massachusetts: There are a lot of worse places to be looking for a job.

The economy here is slowing, but unlike many other states, Massachusetts is still adding jobs. The state gained about 12,000 jobs over the past year even as the nation shed 125,000.

The job market here has been buoyed by traditionally strong sectors, including technology, scientific research, healthcare, and education. Employment in professional, scientific, and technical services rose 3.1 percent over the past year; healthcare, 2.5 percent; education, 1.4 percent; and information, which includes software makers, 1.2 percent, according to the state Department of Workforce Development.

That compares to the less than a half-percent growth in total Massachusetts employment, and one-tenth percent decline nationally in employment.

"The outlook really depends on what field you're in," said Alan Clayton-Matthews, a professor and economic forecaster at the University of Massachusetts at Boston.

The Massachusetts economy has performed better than the na tion's in large part because it was less exposed to the deep downturn in housing. While local housing markets were hard hit, the state avoided much of the speculative building that has helped push states like Florida, California, and Nevada into recession. Massachusetts also has a relatively small construction sector.

The state has been helped by its large healthcare and education sectors, which are not as susceptible to cyclical downturns. Higher education, in fact, often does better when the economy is weak, as students, instead of testing the job market, stay in school to pursue advanced degrees, while others return to retool skills.

Staffing firms say job prospects in technology, healthcare, science, and professional services such as accounting, are also still pretty good. Aaron Green, president of Professional Staffing Group of Boston, said the slowing economy has curbed demand for workers even in these fields, but it's far different than the 2001 recession when the technology sector crashed, thousands lost jobs, and hiring was frozen.

"There's still not an excess of good people on the market," Green said. "Companies are becoming a little more selective, workers are looking a little longer, but the offers are still coming in."

Laura Matela, area director for Adecco, a global human resources company, said biotechnology and biopharmaceutical companies are seeking not only researchers, but also clerical, administrative, and other staff. "They are looking for all levels of support," she said.

Still, Massachusetts jobs in sectors tied to housing and consumer spending, which has slowed considerably under the weight of declining home values and high energy costs, are harder to find.

Employment in real estate has dropped 3.4 percent over the past year; and in construction, 2.1 percent. Arts, entertainment, and recreation outfits have sliced 1.7 percent of their jobs. Retailers have cut employment by 1.6 percent.

Staffing firms say they are also seeing hiring slow in financial services, affected by the turmoil in stock and other financial markets. Financial services employment grew by just two-tenths of a percent in the last year.

Robert Gavin can be reached at rgavin@globe.com.