Imagine, for a moment, the economy of 1999.

The Ann Arbor region’s unemployment rate was a rock-bottom 1.6 percent.

“There were ‘help wanted’ signs in every building you could see,” University of Michigan economist Don Grimes said.

In short, every job was hot. Today, however, it’s a little harder to spot the hot jobs.

Sean Heiney, director of new product initiatives for Barracuda Networks, which has been steadily adding staff to its cybersecurity operation on Depot Street in Ann Arbor.

File photo | AnnArbor.com

The following is my semi-scientific list of Ann Arbor’s hottest jobs of 2010. This list (in no particular order) was compiled based on data from U-M economists, the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth, and interviews with local business experts and economic development leaders.

Medical records software programmers.

Technology that lowers the cost of health care is tantamount to gold. That’s why you can expect to see firms like HealthMedia, White Pine Systems, MedHub, Hygieia and Cielo MedSolutions looking for software programmers.

The number of Web-based application developer jobs in Michigan is expected to increase by 30 percent annually between 2006 and 2016, according to DELEG. “If you’re a programmer, you’re in pretty good shape,” said Amy Cell, director of talent enhancement for Ann Arbor SPARK.

Alternative propulsion engineers.

The auto industry’s thirst for knowledge about electric vehicles and hybrids is intense, in part because the sector is so new, and so few American engineers have knowledge about lithium-ion batteries.

“I think the job creation engine is going to continue to flow,” said Maria Thompson, former president of battery firm A123Systems’ Ann Arbor division. Master’s students in U-M’s energy systems engineering program are among the top experts in the industry.

Network security engineers and analysts.

Cybersecurity firms like Arbor Networks, Barracuda Networks and NetEnrich are tapping the region’s wealth of talent in IT security. Barracuda is hiring almost continuously. The network systems and data communication industry is considered Michigan’s fastest growing sector. DELEG estimates that the number of jobs in this industry will increase 38.2 percent a year from 2006 to 2016.

Medical device maker Terumo has added more than 60 jobs over the last 18 months.

Nathan Bomey | AnnArbor.com

Medical device manufacturing and embedded controls engineers.

Medical device maker Terumo, which celebrated its $3.5 million Scio Township expansion earlier this month, has added more than 60 jobs over the last 18 months. Accuri Cytometers and U-M spinoff HandyLab, which was acquired last fall by Becton, Dickinson and Co., are expected to continue their expansions.

Sales people for digital companies.

Web site personalization firm MyBuys has been steadily adding sales workers at its Ann Arbor operation. And Google has posted job openings for its sales center in downtown Ann Arbor.

“After you’ve defined what the market opportunities are, that’s when you need to bring the sales people in,” Cell said. “I think 2010 is going to be a good year for sales people, because you need people with industry contacts.”

Software services consultants.

Californian startup Systems In
Motion has added about 40 employees since announcing last fall that it would hire more than 1,100 workers at its new operation in Pittsfield Township over the next several years. The company is retraining workers in partnership with Eastern Michigan University for entry-level jobs in its IT services center.

Firms like Menlo Innovations and GDI Infotech are also steadily hiring. U-M economists project that the Ann Arbor region will add 540 jobs in computer systems design and services from
2009 to 2012.

“I think a lot of people are recognizing that information technology is becoming their key differentiator in the marketplace,” Menlo CEO Rich Sheridan said.

Web site optimization and design experts.

Pittsfield Township-based Fry Inc., a division of Micros Systems, plans to add a dozen jobs to support growth in its mobile Web site consulting business. Search engine marketing firm Pure Visibility is also growing.

Even global giant Domino’s Pizza is hiring two dozen IT workers to help transfer its online ordering system from an outside contractor to its own systems.

Home health care workers, nurses and ambulatory care workers.

This is a field with nearly endless opportunity, fueled by demographic
changes that will escalate demand for health care services. DELEG projects that the state will add 3,005 registered nurses annually through 2016.

From 2009 to 2012, Washtenaw County is expected to add 544 jobs at ambulatory health care facilities and 393 jobs at nursing and residential care facilities, according to U-M economists.

“It’s simply harder to see how this industry is not going to be robust,” U-M economist George Fulton said.

Jan Mulcrone, director of human resources services for the U-M Health System, said one of the most difficult positions to fill is neonatal nurse practitioner and intensive care nurse.

“Those positions are always difficult for us to fill when they’re open,” Mulcrone said.

Biosciences researchers.

Most of these jobs will be concentrated at U-M, which plans to hire 2,000 to 3,000 workers within 10 years to staff the 2 million-square-foot ex-Pfizer facility. Among the university’s focus for the site: nanotechnology and imaging technology.

Interns.

Companies are increasingly recognizing the power of internships to help save costs and make the right hires. And the emergence of the Detroit Regional Chamber-sponsored InternInMichigan.com is helping companies connect with Michigan college students.

Contact AnnArbor.com’s Nathan Bomey at (734) 623-2587 or nathanbomey@annarbor.com or follow him on Twitter. You can also subscribe to AnnArbor.com Business Review's weekly e-newsletter or the upcoming breaking business news e-newslett