RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK – The economic and health devasation inflicted by COVID-19 has many Americans thinking about and finding jobs that are more likely to keep providing paychecks it and when another pandemic hits.

And many of those jobs require people to be “tech savvy.”

So says a new national survey from economic and consumer information site WalletHub.

“Due to the incredibly high level of unemployment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, 73.5 million Americans plan on looking for a job that is more pandemic-proof,” said Jill Gonzalez, a WalletHub analyst, about the findings in the survey that was released Tuesday. That number is based on nearly 30 percent of respondents saying they would be in the market for a safer job.

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“As a result of Americans searching for more pandemic-proof jobs, we may see growth in professions that allow working from home, as well as those that are deemed ‘essential’ during times of crisis.”

With millions of people thrown out of work – including nearly 1 million in North Carolina alone – Linda Loubert at the Morgan State University Economics Department, tells WalletHub people looking to change jobs or careers are also likely to consider moving to a new city.

Career advice

“Be creative and nimble and more tech-savvy” is her advice to job lookers.

Added Alvin Chiang at the Department of Economics, Florida International University: “The best advice I would have for individuals looking for a job right now is to be flexible and adaptable. There probably is not a career field or industry that is recession or pandemic-proof, so you should take stock of what skills and experiences you have gained and learned over the past years.

“Don’t limit yourself to one particular area and explore areas that you may not have previously considered. Furthermore, instead of using your talents in conventional manners, see how you can pivot and apply them in a new or uncommon way. Focus on what differentiates and distinguishes you from other jobseekers to truly set yourself apart.”

As for picking a new home, Loubert sees a trend toward living in less urban environments.

“I would think people in large urban settings want to move to less-density regions and where the jobs have not gone away,” Loubert told WalletHub. “These areas generally have lower rates of COVID-19 cases and people are fearful of their lives let alone their livelihood.”

Inside the survey results

WalletHub, which says the survey is based on a representative national sample and was conducted online, also found that the impact of the pandemic has affected Americans’ attitudes toward travel, dining out, and much more.

Key findings are highlighted in the following infographic:

WalletHub graphic