Looking for a Job? 10 Industries With Tens of Thousands of Job Openings

By Ellen Chang

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Looking for a job? With the economy improving, there are plenty of job openings across a wide range of industries.

Some 9.1 million American are still seeking jobs, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, despite a torrid hiring pace through 2014. Companies have added over 2 million jobs this year.

Despite these gains, many industries are still short employees. This shortage costs companies $160 billion a year, according to a study conducted by the Centre for Economic and Business Research and Indeed.com, the employment website.

The number of people in the labor market has declined to the lowest level in decades, the report said. With fewer people seeking jobs and companies on the hunt for qualified employees, it's a good time to be a job seeker.

Below are 10 industries that have tens of thousands of open positions.

Manufacturing The manufacturing industry is facing a shortage as more baby boomers retire and the next generation of workers is needed on the assembly line to build items ranging from furniture to automobiles. Fewer people now want jobs in this industry, which also requires very specific technical skills. "There's more to manufacturing than pulling levers -- there's opportunity for real money and advancement," said Andy Bushmaker, senior human resources manager at Green Bay-based KI Furniture, a member of an alliance of manufacturers in Wisconsin starting recruitment and outreach in primary and secondary schools. "Manufacturers will soon need to replace these skilled workers and their decades of experience. Young people won't be able to capitalize on these opportunities if they don't have the math and technical knowledge these jobs require." According to the latest BLS numbers, the manufacturing industry currently has 290,000 job openings.

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