A few trades to add to your list;
Machinist. Mason. Barber/Cosmetologist. Bartender. Landscaper.
IMHO building trades are either feast or famine. Out of them all, the Plumber probably wins out (there's always a clogged toilet, or leaky faucet). But the others make their big cake when the economy is up, and people are building new houses/ or renovating. Other than that, they are dependant on Fire, Flood, Rot, code violations, or acts of God. I will say though, when the money is good, it's great. Most people I know in these trades have really nice homes, and drive nice cars. The downfall is when the economy shifts, affording to keep these can be difficult.
Mechanics... Something I know a bit about. We always have work. My favorite saying is "If fixing cars was fun or easy, I'd be out of a job". If you are competent, you can get a job with in a week, maybe 2 tops. With a good job, you'll live a comfortable existence. But you'll never get rich though.
I.T. People.. Seems like a steady line of work, but if a company goes belly up like allot of them, I don't know how quickly you're going to find another gig.
Cooks... Yeah, people have to eat. But they don't need to eat at a restaurant. Seems the most secure place to be if you're a cook is either in a hospital/nursing home, or working at a school cafeteria.
Just my .2?, others may disagree...
