10 Surprisingly Recession-Proof Industries (PHOTOS)

It's always tricky to call an industry "recession-proof" but, though it may sound surprising, there are a handful of industries that are actually growing during the downturn.

But as we wait patiently for things to improve, consumption patterns look a little different. Spending is down on funerals and education, but is rising on non-necessities like gum, tattoos and-- pet pampering? Perhaps mounting frustrations and anxieties about the economy have shown a new side of human nature.

Check out some of the most surprising industries that are not only surviving, but thriving during the current economic lull.

1 of 10

Family movies

1 of 11

First Slide

Previous Slide

@

Grossing over $300 million in 3 weeks, family-friendly flick "Toy Story 3" has virtually saved Hollywood from a lackluster summer (by way of contrast, Tom Cruise's "Knight and Day" has grossed roughly $49 million so far). Meanwhile, fellow family-friendly movies like "Shrek The Third," "Wall-E" and "Up" have pulled in nearly a billion dollars in box office receipts in the last two years. Compare that to the $250 million earned by their "adult" counterparts during the same period of time: "American Gangster," "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and "Public Enemies". "In the recession, families are looking for activities outside of home, and a (family) movie allows Mom and Dad, the teens and the little kids to enjoy a movie together," Paul Dergarabedian of Hollywood.com told Reuters last year.

Sexy Pizza

Countries Doing The Most To Spread Wealth

The Top 20 Selling American Craft Breweries

7 Hippie Companies That Aren't As Liberal As You Think

10 Things The Fast Food Industry Doesn't Want You To Know

9 Incriminating Things Wall Street Workers Have Said Via Email

Grossing over $300 million in 3 weeks, family-friendly flick "Toy Story 3" has virtually saved Hollywood from a lackluster summer (by way of contrast, Tom Cruise's "Knight and Day" has grossed roughly $49 million so far). Meanwhile, fellow family-friendly movies like "Shrek The Third," "Wall-E" and "Up" have pulled in nearly a billion dollars in box office receipts in the last two years. Compare that to the $250 million earned by their "adult" counterparts during the same period of time: "American Gangster," "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and "Public Enemies".

"In the recession, families are looking for activities outside of home, and a (family) movie allows Mom and Dad, the teens and the little kids to enjoy a movie together," Paul Dergarabedian of Hollywood.com told Reuters last year.

comments(244)

Total comments: 244 | Post a Comment

1 of 11

Rate This Slide

Rank #2  |  Average: 4

Slowing Down Still Growing

• 
  1
• 
  2
• 
  3
• 
  4
• 
  5
• 
  6
• 
  7
• 
  8
• 
  9
• 
  10

Most Unexpected Recession-Proof Industries

loading...

Most Unexpected Recession-Proof Industries

UserName

 | Become a fan

Picked These as the Top 5 Slides in the Slideshow

loading...

Top User Slides

← Prev|Next →

 | Become a fan

Picked These as the Top 5 Slides in the Slideshow

loading...

Users who voted on this slide

← Prev|Next →

loading...

Comments

[wilray]

03:41 PM on 07/23/2010

I bet there's no recession for hookkahs, but then that's not surprising.

[CherBearBlue]

03:52 AM on 07/12/2010

yay marathons! Everyone should try it :)

[mc53]

11:09 AM on 07/10/2010

Tatoos, the new sign of American idiocy. In 15 years all the boneheads who got tatted up will be crying for their insurance companies to remove their sagging pictures of devils, angels and god knows what else.

[SPYWITNESS]

01:29 PM on 07/12/2010

Nothing says " I'm an inarticulate dimwit" like a pandora's box of sloppy inked imagery mutilating your skin! You've just eliminated your chances of getting hired in any job paying more than 7-8 bucks hrly.

[LWhee1961]

02:22 AM on 07/15/2010

Exactly. I know a young woman who has an excessive number of tatoos, and she cannot get a job. She has two children, has broken up with their father and is living with her parents. The truth is overall she is a smart girl, but she definitely got carried away with the tats. Some businesses will hire someone if they have a small tatoo(s) that can be covered up with a long-sleeved shirt, for example, while they are at work, That would never work in her case, and now she has to live with the consequences because she cannot support herself and her young children.

[octaviosergio2]

07:58 PM on 07/09/2010

cheap caffeine,nicotine,alcohol and porn offer all these things and you will always have business.

[lizjoycee]

11:11 AM on 07/09/2010

donuts! yum! what is also interesting is that a study has utilized sales from dunkin donuts and starbucks coffee sales to track the economy, because apparently we are more apt to spend money on donuts than on coffee (which seems to be tied tightly to our economic belt):

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/07/bobbi-eden-netherlands-po_n_637329.html

[lizjoycee]

01:03 PM on 07/09/2010

oops, didn't mean to post twice!

[lizjoycee]

11:07 AM on 07/09/2010

donuts! yum! what is also interesting is that a study to track our recessive economy has utilized sales of dunkin donuts and starbucks coffee - an industry that apparently is pretty stuck to the track:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/07/bobbi-eden-netherlands-po_n_637329.html

[azurewlf]

06:46 AM on 07/08/2010

Hay, you forgot to mention the businesses that make allot of money off of the poor, sick elders, children and the injured! Now those are the professions you want your kids to get into because it’s mandated by law and all of the professionals are guaranteed to make nothing but tones of money! Well that is if your kids learn two very important lessons before practicing their chosen fields of professions. Get along in order to go along and the golden rule, which has the gold, makes the rule! As for integrity or a conscience conducing business, there is no room or tolerance for either in these businesses!

[richsmith]

11:45 PM on 07/07/2010

Woo, I didn't find prostitution on the list.

[Oscar1226]

12:25 PM on 07/07/2010

Totally lame feature Huffington.

[truth67]

11:37 AM on 07/07/2010

dope is recession friendly

[ontariogirl]

06:15 PM on 07/07/2010

LOL!

[robert greenfield]

11:30 PM on 07/09/2010

It is not soul friendly though :(

[Morgantheaxe]

11:30 AM on 07/07/2010

Funny you should say this guys because just the other day I was putting ointment on my new tattoo while checking my fantasy football lineup for this year. I was having trouble getting reception with my Iphone so I stuck the gum I was chewing on the antena to try and get a better signal. I had to stop fiddling with it because I was getting a little sea sick rocking in the boat I was in doing some whale watching. Fortunately just then a big humpback breached and took my mind off the fact that my quarterback is probably going to end up going to jail this season for assault. Sigh, oh well maybe Ill stop and pick up some doughnuts on the way home. Doughnuts always make everything seem much better.

[youresomodest]

08:36 AM on 07/07/2010

Yes, please, flood the streets with more awful tattoos. We certainly need more fake tribal and Tweety Birds (on people who call them "tats" *shudder*).

I don't know who they were surveying for that particular tidbit of information. I've definitely put off getting more tattoos in lieu of eating and paying rent.

[JoshuaBFree]

08:31 AM on 07/07/2010

The real list:

Fast food, payday loan, pawn shops, repo-companies, mortgage people, bankers, corporate executives and politicians.

[charlot]

07:44 AM on 07/07/2010

I'd like to know what the overall percentage is of people who utlimately regret covering their skin with tattoos. I don't know why people want to mutilate themselves like that, but to each his own.

[Plan B Economics]

07:21 AM on 07/07/2010

Even if we're in an economic depression people need to live. I think entertainment is a big part of this. It helps one forget.

I also think it's important people don't get sucked into the depression mentality. After-all, many great fortunes originated out of the Great Depression.

http://www.planbeconomics.com/wealthcreation/