The healthcare industry will continue to drive the nation’s employment growth through 2026 by adding around 4 million new jobs, accounting for about a third of total job growth, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data released earlier this week.
The fastest-growing sectors include healthcare support occupations (23.2{3d48c2ffeac5b3f3ac54732d49a0b0ca9fd7cec0f4630955c0e7b180206e5d78} increase from 2016-2026) and healthcare practitioners and technical occupations (15.2{3d48c2ffeac5b3f3ac54732d49a0b0ca9fd7cec0f4630955c0e7b180206e5d78}), which entail home health aides, physician assistants and nurse practitioners, among other positions. These two occupational groups—which make up 14 of the 30 fastest-growing occupations across all industries from 2016 to 2026—are projected to contribute about one-fifth of all new jobs by 2026.
The healthcare industry has long fueled the country’s economy. Demand is expected to pick up as the population ages, people live longer, more gain insurance coverage and chronic conditions become more prevalent.
Employment in outpatient care has grown at six times the rate of hospitals as more care is delivered in lower-cost settings, data from the Center for Economic and Policy Research show.
Home health aides are projected to be the third fastest-growing occupations in all industries, increasing 47{3d48c2ffeac5b3f3ac54732d49a0b0ca9fd7cec0f4630955c0e7b180206e5d78} over the 10-year span, according to the BLS. Physician assistants are expected to grow 37{3d48c2ffeac5b3f3ac54732d49a0b0ca9fd7cec0f4630955c0e7b180206e5d78}, nurse practitioners 36{3d48c2ffeac5b3f3ac54732d49a0b0ca9fd7cec0f4630955c0e7b180206e5d78}, medical assistants 29{3d48c2ffeac5b3f3ac54732d49a0b0ca9fd7cec0f4630955c0e7b180206e5d78}, health specialties teachers 26{3d48c2ffeac5b3f3ac54732d49a0b0ca9fd7cec0f4630955c0e7b180206e5d78}, phlebotomists 24{3d48c2ffeac5b3f3ac54732d49a0b0ca9fd7cec0f4630955c0e7b180206e5d78} and nursing teachers 24{3d48c2ffeac5b3f3ac54732d49a0b0ca9fd7cec0f4630955c0e7b180206e5d78}.e gain insurance coverage and chronic conditions become more prevalent.
Original URL – http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20171027/NEWS/171029879