In a Tough Job Market, Who’s Employed and Who's Not

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WSJ has assembled the data from Bureau of Labor Statistics. Below are the occupations that had the lowest unemployment rates in 2012 and the highest.

Occupations with the lowest unemployment rates in 2012 were:

Atmospheric and space scientists 0.0%

Astronomers and physicists 0.3%

Biomedical engineers 0.4%

First-line supervisors/managers of fire fighting and prevention workers 0.4%

Petroleum engineers 0.6%

First-line supervisors/managers of correctional officers 0.6%

Physicians and surgeons 0.8%

Earth drillers, except oil and gas 0.9%

Animal breeders 1.0%

Meter readers, utilities 1.2%

Police and sheriff's patrol officers 1.2%

Clergy 1.2%

Veterinarians 1.2%

Locomotive engineers and operators 1.2%

Miscellaneous mathematical science occupations 1.3%

Occupations with the highest unemployment rates in 2012 were:

Forest and conservation workers 38.4%

Roof bolters, mining 36.6%

Manufactured building and mobile home installers 35.5%

Conveyor operators and tenders 33.6%

Commercial divers 31.7%

Plasterers and stucco masons 30.5%

Reinforcing iron and rebar workers 27.0%

Ambulance drivers and attendants, except emergency medical technicians 26.0%

Drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic 25.8%

Fence erectors 23.4%

Motion picture projectionists 22.6%

Riggers 21.6%

Desktop publishers 20.9%

Crossing guards 20.6%

Boilermakers 20.4%

Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators 20.4%

Construction laborers 19.9%

Rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic 19.5%

Packers and packagers, hand 19.2%

Cement masons, concrete finishers, and terrazzo workers 19.8%

Brickmasons, blockmasons, and stonemasons 18.8%

Models, demonstrators, and product promoters 18.6%

Drywall installers, ceiling tile installers, and tapers 18.0%

Dishwashers 17.7%

Tax preparers 17.6%

Interviewers, except eligibility and loan 17.3%

Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic 16.9%

Cleaners of vehicles and equipment 16.2%

Carpenters 15.2%