If you are one of the many Americans considering buying a home in Shreveport, you may be wondering about the employment market here for you or your spouse. Shreveport has a healthy and blustering economy that offers a wide array of exciting and rewarding jobs. Here are some guidelines on where you may want to begin your job search for your new life here.

Shreveport has always been well known as an oil town. Today, Shreveport's residents are largely employed by the services industry. Particularly, residents have seen the swift growth of the local gaming industries. Roverboard casinos and various gambling event venues have become a big business for the city in recent years. The city is home to Sam's Town, Horseshoe, Eldorado, Boomtown and Diamond Jack's casinos.

One large stimulus initiative that Shreveport has recently seen is the construction of the Louisiana Boardwalk. The huge entertainment and shopping complex located across from the Red River has numerous restaurants, shops, bowling and a large movie theater. Numerous construction jobs are also being generated from this, with openings for anyone who can install a temperature calibrator on plumbing systems or wire a building for IT. A large convention center with an adjoining Hilton Hotel has also recently opened. These companies and venues are some of the areas largest employers.

Shreveport has a number of shipping companies that have hubs in the city. A to Z and specialty class drivers are always in demand. If you have experience driving a vacuum truck, bulldozer or forklift, you will find a number of appropriate openings. The city also has a vibrant biomedical and healthcare industry that employs many residents. The Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport, Willis Knighton, Shriners Hospital and Christus Schimpert hospitals are large area employers.

The city also has a strong and healthy manufacturing sector. Small to medium sized businesses in the city manufacture anything from lead castings to ball bearings. Fine furniture, electronics, cosmetics and more are all made in Shreveport and sent to markets all over the world.

Mining and Gas companies are also large employers in the city. With the unveiling of the Haynesville Shale deposit, numerous new careers in the natural gas industry are anticipated for the next few years. Job openings as a result include postings for development and planning. As well, the local agriculture sectors have openings for specialists in manure management, veterinary services and farm administration. With the mining initiatives, many area residents are taking advantage of the new opportunities and large signing bonuses they receive for the mineral rights on their land, up to $25,000 per acre.

Another large area employer are the local film and High Tech industries. Louisiana has the third-largest film industry in the country, just behind California and New York. If you are looking for a career in computer programming or in designing group collaboration software, Shreveport is an ideal location for you. The region is often referred to as "Hollywood South" for it's dominance in the industry.

Shreveport is home to a large number of productions each year which, in turn, have created a sub-economy for local shops and manufacturers to supply it. Sound stages, post production, special effects and animation houses, catering companies and the new outdoor wave pool studio all employ a large number of residents. Films recently shot in Shreveport include "W" with Josh Brolin and "Year One" with Jack Black and Michael Cera.