The onslaught of job losses continues. But one bright spot for the unemployed could very well be in healthcare. It’s the one of the few areas that always seems in demand—recession or no. Here's your guide to getting a job in health care.

1) Get the stats

This industry is expected to grow 22 percent through 2016—that’s twice as fast as all industries combined. It’s expected there will be 13.6 million new jobs created according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Right now, healthcare takes up 10 percent of all jobs nationwide.

Here are some job titles that are expected to grow the fastest through 2016:

–Home health aides up 48.7 percent

–Medical assistants up 35 percent

–Registered nurses up 23 percent

–Nursing aides/orderlies 35.4 percent

2) Know the requirements

You already know doctors and nurses have years of training after college. But you don’t have to train for years or go to med school for a lot of other professions. Check this out—and keep in mind that these requirements vary.

Pharmacists: 1-2 year program plus licensing requirements

Physician Assistants: 2 year program

Social Workers: Generally need masters degree

Lab Technicians: Undergrad degree

Medical Transcriptions: Vocation school, community college

Home Health Aide: varies

**source: CareerBuilder

Now, if you’re interested in a career in healthcare, start researching locally. Talk to your primary care physician. Ask about the training, the job demands and the potential for growth.

For more on jobs, tune into "Your Bottom Line" every Saturday at 9:30 am Eastern Time on CNN.

What's your cholesterol number? Don't know? Unfortunately, you’re not alone.

Most Americans, especially between the ages of 18 and 45, don’t know their cholesterol levels. The problem with this is that when high cholesterol is left untreated, you are at serious risk of coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, even stroke.

Reducing that risk is as simple as understanding cholesterol, keeping track of your levels and then making small changes to keep them at a healthy level. Here are a few tips to get you started.

Good vs. bad: It's important to understand what is good cholesterol and what is bad. LDL is the bad cholesterol. It can slowly build up in the walls of your arteries, limiting circulation of blood to your brain and heart. HDL is known as the good cholesterol because it helps prevent blockage in your arteries.

Crunch the numbers: When looking at your HDL, or good cholesterol, the higher your number, the better. If your HDL level is less than 50, you are at an increased risk for heart disease. It is the opposite for the LDL, or bad cholesterol levels. The lower the number the better. Strive to keep your LDL level below 130.

Make it a habit: If your cholesterol levels are high, you can often avoid medication by making simple lifestyle changes. Are you a smoker? Do you eat too much saturated fat, trans fat or cholesterol? Are you physically inactive? All of these modifiable factors can affect your cholesterol levels and potentially prevent a heart attack.

Adults not only need to pay attention to their own cholesterol levels, but their kids' numbers too! Click here to read my blog about kids and cholesterol.

Be sure to tune in to Dr. Sanjay Gupta every weekend on HOUSE CALL. You'll find the answers to your medical questions Saturday and Sunday at 7:30 a.m. ET on CNN.

The House passed the highly controversial $819 billion economic stimulus bill on Wednesday. Not a single Republican voted for the measure and even 11 Democrats opposed the legislation, which has been criticized for its huge price tag. The House had rejected a Republican-backed amendment to scale back the bill's spending and expand its tax cuts.

But the Senate version of the bill is actually even more expensive, ringing in at around $900 billion.

Let's take a brief look at some of the most important parts of the bill:

1) The Senate version of the bill includes a $69 billion proposal to shield millions of middle class Americans from the Alternative Minimum Tax.This proposal is meant to sweeten the deal for Republicans and has been adamantly pushed by Iowa Senator Charles Grassley. AMT was originally intended to prevent high-income taxpayers from using loopholes to avoid paying taxes all together... and thus to make sure they pay a minimum tax. Unfortunately, when the AMT was cooked up 40 years ago, inflation wasn't considered, and now many middle class Americans are forced to pay higher taxes under its provisions. The House actually rejected adding a similar Republican amendment to expand the bill's tax cuts.

2) Both the Senate and the House versions of the bill allocate billions to create jobs across many industries. That includes $90 billion for construction projects, like repairing roads and bridges; $142 billion for education projects, like modernizing schools; and $54 billion for renewable energy projects, like updating the nation electric grid. Opponents of the spending say that many of these projects will take too long to implement, meaning the jobs they aim to create won't materialize anytime soon.

3) The bills also include huge chunks of cash for "safety net" programs that will help American weather the rest of the recession.These provisions include $43 billion for unemployment benefits and $20 billion for food stamps, school lunches, and similar food programs. Opponents say that, with the legislation getting more and more expensive, the focus should be on creating jobs, not on cushioning people from the economic downturn.

Though President Obama is aiming to gain broad support for the stimulus package, the clearly divided House vote doesn’t bode well. This is an incredibly complex piece of legislation… and darned expensive at that: any sort of broad consensus is going to be hard to come by. Still, some form of the bill is bound to pass before Obama's stated mid-February deadline because there is one thing nearly everyone can agree on: something has to be done to dig us out of this hole.

Ali Velshi is CNN's Chief Business Correspondent.

Would you like to apply for a job with the biggest employer in the country? One that increases hiring every single year? And, no we’re not talking about Wal-Mart.

1) Get the stats

The government employs 1.93 million people. This figure includes full, part-time and seasonal employees (not postal workers). Over the last few years, the increases in government hiring have been astonishing.

Total number permanent new hires:

2004 – 78,732
2005 – 87,498
2006 – 91,552
2007 – 99,335
2008 – 91,702 *

*Figure is for first half of 2008
*Source: Office of Personnel Management

Any job you can find in the private sector you can find in federal service. The government hires chemists, biologists, doctors, nurses and even art appraisers.  And, of course, there are the usual office managers, personal assistants and engineers.

2) Off-beat jobs

Now, you may never heard of the following titles, but they are real jobs: Bowling equipment repair, aircraft attendant, lamplighters, charwomen and sextons. If you are interested in checking out the jobs, go to www.usajobs.gov. On the site, you can search for job openings by job title and even by location. Only 12 percent of federal jobs are actually in Washington, so no matter where you live you have a shot at these jobs.

For more about jobs and issues affecting your wallet, tune into Your Bottom Line every Saturday at 9:30 am Eastern Time on CNN.

Job cuts are nothing new with the economy being what it is. Just look at the 2.6 million jobs lost in 2008. But, this week started off with a real bruising. On Monday alone, a bunch of big companies announced job cuts totaling 71,400 - all in one day! If we go by company reports, more than 200,000 job cuts have been announced so far this year - and we're only approaching February!

Some big name companies are letting their workers go. Caterpillar, the construction machinery giant, said it will lay off 20,000 employees, citing a "very challenging global business environment." Drug­-maker Pfizer said it will cut 10 percent of its current workers, along with another 15 percent, once a pending merger with Wyeth goes through - for a grand total of 26,000. Sprint Nextel said it would cut 8,000 staffers by the end of March; Home Depot announced cuts of 7,000; and, high-tech glass company Corning said it's going to reduce its workforce by 3,500.

What's going on?

1) Jobs are being cut across the board.What do pharmaceuticals (Pfizer-Wyeth), manufacturing (Caterpillar) and communications (Sprint Nextel) have in common? Nothing, except for a particularly harsh recessionary environment. The one industry that's beating the odds is healthcare. If you're looking for work, try to apply your skill set to the healthcare industry.

2) The recession got worse. A survey of private-sector economists shows that 52 percent of their companies saw drops in profit margins in the fourth quarter, while 44 percent were forced to cut payrolls in the same period. As more company earning reports come out, expect more job cuts to be announced.

3) Employers are uncertain about where the economy is going. As bad as things are now, company executives and managers don't know if this economy has hit rock bottom. So, they will continue to cut costs as much as possible.

It's important to understand there is a very clear cycle going on here: consumers are spending less these days, so companies are making less money. That forces them to cut costs, resulting in job losses, which in turn cause consumers to spend less. And so the cycle continues. There are remedies in the works, like President Barack Obama's proposed stimulus package. He is hoping to create up to four million jobs by investing heavily in infrastructure projects.

But, a new Congressional Budget Office report warns that government funding might not pick up until 2011, because "lags in spending stem in part from the need to draft plans, solicit bids, enter into contracts, and conduct regulatory or environmental reviews," among other things. Unfortunately, that means we should expect another round of job cuts before things start to turn around.

Ali Velshi is CNN's Chief Business Correspondent.

Some 71,000 jobs have been eliminated this year and thousands more just this morning. If you're looking for a job, you may be wondering which vocations pay well. Payscale.com came up with a list of six-figure jobs with education requirements that won't send you back to school for four years. To be clear, you may not make a hundred grand immediately, but you have a good shot at a six-figure income if you are a top performer.

1) Air traffic controllers

Air traffic controllers can earn up to $186,000 a year, once you get through the Federal Aviation Administration training, drug screening and background checks. This is a job for people with the steadiest of nerves.

2) Plumbers, pipefitters and steam fitters

In this industry, you can make up to $130,000, if you can put up with the late hours. You'll need an apprenticeship, technical college or community college training. But the good news is there will be shortages in the future.

3) Police detectives

You can earn up to $110,000 and are required to log one or two years of college coursework. And, the job is dangerous and stressful.

4) Ultrasound technicians

Among the many health care jobs in the high paying category are ultrasound technicians, who can earn up to $110,000. Better yet, this vocation is recession proof. Training is done in hospitals.

5) Court reporters

These are government jobs that can pay up to $104,000. The downside? Getting down testimony verbatim can be stressful. The job requires a minimum of two years training.

Finding a new job that pays well is never easy, but if you are flexible and tailor your search to vocations that are in demand you have a better shot at landing a job.

Watch Gerri on Your Bottom Line every Saturdays at 9:30 am Eastern Time on CNN.

The aches and pains associated with arthritis don't just affect the elderly. The Arthritis Foundation reports two-thirds of people who have the condition are under the age of 65.

In a little more than 20 years, the foundation predicts, 67 million Americans over the age of 18 will get an arthritis diagnosis.

It may help to understand what's fact and what's fiction when it comes to arthritis.

Here are some tips that may help dispell some myths:

1) Snap, snap. There is no scientific evidence that cracking your knuckles can cause arthritis. The habit and the sound may be annoying, but doctors say it is relatively harmless. Age, heredity, obesity and joint injury are some of the known causes of arthritis.

2) It feels like rain. Many arthritis sufferers swear they can predict the weather when their arthritis flares up. Doctors note while they've heard anecdotal evidence from many patients, there is no scientific proof behind the claims.

3) Take it easy. It is not true that exercise makes arthritis worse. Physical activity actually keeps joints flexible, maintains or improves muscle strength and helps with weight control.

Finally, arthritis isn't just another name for the aches and pains we feel as we grow older. It is a chronic disease that describes more than 100 conditions affecting the joints and other body parts. While there is no cure, doctors can provide medications and treatments that can improve the level of pain.

Judy Fortin's Health Minute segment runs daily on Headline News from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET weekdays.

We’ve come to expect the stock market to be a little irrational, but rallying when job cuts are sinking the economy as it did today?

Well, it sounds crazy. And, it is hard to imagine what good news traders could see in massive layoffs announced this morning. Sprint announced 8,000 in job cuts. Another 20,000 layoffs at Caterpillar were announced and 7,000 cuts at Home Depot. And, that was just this morning.

Truth is traders this morning were focused on some good news rather than the abysmal jobs numbers. First off, the housing market actually produced good results in December for a change in pace, with existing home sales rising 6.5 percent. Better yet, inventories fell 11.7 percent to 3.68 million, and that is a 9.3 month supply, down from a 11.2 supply in November. There was also good news in the announcement by drug giant Pfizer. It is buying Wyeth in a $68 billion deal – assuring the markets that big acquisitions are still happening despite the recession. Also, the index of leading economic indicators posted a better than expected reading.

For more of Gerri’s Top Tips, watch CNN weekdays at 11:15 Eastern Time.

Early Sunday morning, a little visitor woke me up.  Standing next to my bed in her fluffy pink slippers and princess pj's was my 5-year-old step-daughter.  My husband and I have a strict rule: everybody sleeps in their own bed.  But boy, it's hard to resist snuggling with a beautiful little girl.   So off came the princess slippers and into the bed hopped our little girl.  It was a wonderful way to start the day.

Even though my step-daughter is a big girl. I thought about our little 'snuggle-fest' as I read a report out today in the Journal Pediatrics.  Researchers found the rate of accidental strangulation and suffocation deaths among babies went from 103 in 1984 to 513 in 2004.  In 2003 and 2004, 931 babies died from accidental suffocation and strangulation.  Beds, cribs and couches were reported as the most common places where babies died.  Co-sleeping or bed sharing was reported in over 53% of the cases.

The American Academy of Pediatrics says the safest option for co-sleeping is to use a crib or bassinet next to your bed. But if you choose to sleep with the baby in your bed, experts at the University of Michigan Health Systems say here are some things to keep in mind.

1. Lay baby on his back.  You can let your baby have awake "tummy time" during the day, when an adult is there to watch the baby. "Tummy time" is important for your baby's development and also will help prevent positional plagiocephaly or flattened head.  But remember, it’s “back to bed” for sleeping.

2.  Don't sleep on soft surfaces. Avoid soft surfaces - like waterbeds, pillows, comforters, soft mattresses, beanbags, or couches – when sleeping with your baby. Sleeping on a couch with a parent is associated with a higher risk of infant death

3. Watch the blankets.  Blankets should come to child's chest and be securely tucked on both sides under the mattress. Another option is to dress your baby in warm sleep clothing.  Just make sure she's not burning up.

4. Make sure your bed is baby-safe. There should not be a gap between the mattress and the wall, a side rail, a headboard or footboard, the bed-frame side, or any other furniture. Do not use side rails, headboards, or footboards with slats or cutouts that could entrap the baby's head. Mesh insert side rails are safest.

5. Watch what you are taking. Do not sleep with your baby if you have had drugs or alcohol, are extremely tired, or for any other reason may have reduced awareness of your baby.  Even some prescription and over-the-counter medication, such as pain-killers, antihistamines or sleep-aids can reduce your awareness of the baby.

The unemployment rate is at 7.2 percent—that’s a sixteen year high. And even some people who ARE working aren’t in a job that matches their skills. If you find yourself underemployed, here's what you can do to score a better job.

1) Get known

Job number one is to get your name out. You need to use your current job to showcase what can you do. If you have a specific interest or skill, think about starting a blog. Check out sites like wordpress.org or livejournal.com to get started.

2) Get out of the office

Raise your profile outside of your normal gig. Get out and speak to alumni groups, industry or trade groups. Take a leadership role in the organization. Volunteer with community organizations or church groups executing the role you want – if you’re an aspiring CFO, get on your church’s finance committee.

3) Think part time

You may just need a way to make the bills each month and that’s where part time work may come in. First, visit the Web sites of companies you’re interested in. Many companies have online applications. Make sure to have a good handle on your schedule since you may be asked what days and hours you are available to work. And if it’s a smaller company you’re interested in, review the help wanted ads in your local newspaper or pennysaver. A lot of smaller companies won’t be on the larger career Web sites.

For more of Gerri's Top Tips, watch CNN weekdays at 11:15 Eastern Time.