Slow economic recovery slows tally of new health care jobs

Jul 11 2011

Despite the health industry's slow job growth, it remains a key contributor of new employment.

The Wall Street Journal: Slow Recovery Curbs New Health Care Jobs
Health care employment, which defied the economy by adding jobs through the 2007-09 recession, is looking less robust. The sector is starting to come under pressure as the weak recovery coupled with state budget cuts and uncertainty about the financial effects of the health care overhaul are pushing hospitals and health systems to cut costs (Dougherty, 7/9).

Modern Healthcare: Few New Jobs, But Most Were In Health Care
Health care added 13,500 jobs in June, while the overall U.S. economy grew by a net 18,000 new positions as unemployment crept upward once again. The health care sector grew by 0.1 percent in June, continuing a second month of comparatively slow growth relative to performance over the past year, according to seasonally adjusted preliminary figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. For the 12-month period ended in June, health care as a whole added 309,000 jobs, or 2.3 percent, to a workforce of 14.1 million (Carlson, 7/8).