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Career Survey: Actuary Is No. 1 Job

DAVID GREENE, BYLINE: And now to our last word in business, which is: Hey, wait a minute.

A list of the 200 best and worst jobs is out, and right at the bottom at number 200 is reporter - newspaper reporter, to be precise.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

CareerCast.com's rankings are apparently based on some combination of emotional and physical wear, stress, chances of getting hired and pay. The news business, not so good. But, of course, the rankings may prompt some disagreement. The number one job is said to be actuary. Those are people who measure risk and uncertainty. So the finest of all careers is said to be working for people like insurance companies, calculating odds that something terrible will happen to somebody else.

GREENE: Financial planners and optometrists also have great jobs. Now at the bottom with reporters like us are flight attendants, roofers, mail carriers, meter readers, dish washers and lumberjacks.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "THE LUMBERJACK SONG")

MONTY PYTHON'S FLYING CIRCUS: (Singing) I'm a lumberjack and I'm OK. I sleep all night and I work all day.

(Singing) He's a lumberjack and he's OK...

INSKEEP: He is OK. We are proud to be at the bottom of the list with you, people who take pride in doing a hard job well.

And that's the business news on MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm Steve Inskeep.

GREENE: And I'm David Greene.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "THE LUMBERJACK SONG")

MONTY PYTHON'S FLYING CIRCUS: (Singing) ...I go shopping and have buttered scones for tea.

(Singing) He cuts down trees... Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.