Wanted: Legal Secretaries and Nursery Workers

If you’re an unemployed legal secretary or out-of-work nursery worker in Orange County, take heart.

Those are the top two occupations projected to have the fastest job growth until the end of the century, according to the latest forecast by the state’s Employment Development Department.

The report says the number of employed legal secretaries, nursery workers, residential counselors, lawn maintenance workers and computer engineers will grow by more than 50% between 1993 and the year 2000 in the county.

Also in the top 10: lawyers and travel agents.

The occupations expected to have the greatest job growth, in absolute numbers, reflect broader industry trends. And for the most part, they are not the best-paying jobs.

No. 1, by far, is general office clerk, a category whose numbers are projected to jump by 6,530 between 1993 and 2000 in Orange County. That’s followed by general managers (up 3,800), retail sales people (up 3,730), security guards (up 3,350), and receptionists (up 3,130).