In A Sluggish Economy, Health Care Industry Still Growing

Not all industries are shrinking or downsizing in the current economic climate. Economist and staffing experts note that the health care industry is growing and is in serious need of more workers with each passing day. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that health care will create 3 million new wage and salary jobs between 2006 and 2016. In 2008, the economy as a whole lost almost 2.6 million jobs. The Labor Bureau reports that health care added 32,000 jobs.

“People are coming out of other industries and getting into health care because it’s still growing,” said Cheryl Abbot, economist with the Labor Bureau. “No other industry can say that.”

The trend is certainly evident at Balyor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. Sarah Friedman, director of recruiting, has seen the system’s hiring grow from 3,500 in 2006 to 4,100 last year. Baylor does not specifically track how many of their new hires are switching careers, but they find that about 60 percent of the people they hire are older students, implying that they are starting a new line of work.

Texas Health Resources has noticed the average age of nursing school graduates increasing as well. They also notice an increase in the number of men seeking careers as nurses.

Keep track of employment trends at Employment Crossing.