While the rest of the economy continues to stagnate, it looks like healthcare will be one of the most productive job-creation engines in 2012. Patient and practitioner demographics will combine with healthcare system changes to create healthcare jobs month after month.
Healthcare has been a rare bright spot in the job market for the past few years. Jobs in healthcare rose to 14.19 million in October 2011 from 13.88 million a year earlier, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Hospital jobs increased by 84,000 over the period, while ambulatory services — physician offices, outpatient clinics and home health agencies – added more than 173,000 positions.
Reform Will Shape Healthcare Hiring
Under healthcare reform, the market has shifted dramatically over the past year, driven by performance ratings of customer satisfaction, clinical outcomes and cost. These factors are steeply increasing the demand for healthcare professionals such as case managers and healthcare informatics specialists.
The emphasis on community healthcare is also boosting the business of home health agencies and creating many healthcare job opportunities for nurses, nurse practitioners, social workers and home health aides by 15 percent in 2012.
Doctors, Nurses and Physician Extenders in Demand
Those who provide primary healthcare — including private-practice doctors and nurses – will remain in demand by patients and hospitals. Physician extenders such as nurse practitioners and physician assistants will be in great demand at long-term care facilities, community clinics and hospitals.
In 2012, the American Nurses Association expects a trend toward modest growth in the employment of nurses. The labor market for RNs could be affected significantly by political and federal budget outcomes, however. And due to a combination of factors, the availability of nursing jobs is far from uniform. In some geographic areas, there’s still a critical nursing shortage.
A Shortage of Physical Therapists
There is a critical shortage of physical therapists (PTs) practically everywhere. There are areas within the US where there are only five therapists within a 100-mile radius.
If anything, the shortage will deepen, because a large number of PTs — 32 percent — were nearing retirement age in 2010, according to a report from the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA).
“Nobody knows how accountable-care organizations and medical homes will shake out, but healthcare reform in general will decrease the number of uninsured, which will increase demand for PTs.
Technological Advances Stunt Growth for Medical Imaging Professionals
Which healthcare profession is lagging in terms of job creation? For imaging technologists, vacancy rates have been dropping since 2003, and that trend won’t likely change in 2012. Radiographer job vacancies have plummeted from 10.3 percent to 2 percent and job openings for CT specialists from 8.5 percent to 2 percent, according to a survey by the American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT).
Over the same period, the number of radiographers per facility has decreased while all newer healthcare imaging specialties have increased. Overall, “the average number of technologists per facility isn’t growing, and people are delaying retirement.
If you’re looking for a job, healthcare is the market to be in! Contact Morgan Hunter HealthSearch if you want help finding your next great opportunity.