Health Care Added 37,300 Jobs in April – the Largest Monthly Gain in over Four Years

ANN ARBOR, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Private sector health care employment in the United States grew by 37,300 in April, the largest monthly increase since December 2006 according to this month’s Health Sector Economic Indicator report released by Altarum Institute’s Center for Studying Health Spending. Employment in physician offices and hospitals showed the greatest acceleration with growth rates doubling compared to their 12 month trends.

The complete May 2011 report, based upon data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics can be viewed at www.altarum.org/healthindicators.

“Year-over-year growth in health care employment has been running at about 2 percent consistently for over three years,” said Dr. Charles Roehrig, the director of Altarum’s Center for Studying Health Spending. “These April figures represent an annual growth rate of over 3 percent. Nearly one out of six jobs added in April were in health care.”

Health care employment is now 7.1 percent higher than at the start of the recession in December 2007, while in the rest of the economy there are 6.3 percent fewer jobs. As a result, the health care share of total employment has risen from 9.5 percent to an all-time high of 10.7 percent. “While we recognize the positive effects of health care job growth in our current high-unemployment environment, the rate of growth in the share is unlikely to be sustained,” said Roehrig. “As the economic recovery matures, we expect greater balance in employment growth between health care and the rest of the economy.”

Altarum’s Health Sector Economic Indicators reports, published monthly, offer an innovative and timely analysis of health sector employment, spending and prices. To view this, or past reports, visit www.altarum.org/healthindicators. You may also join Altarum’s distribution list to receive email alerts of all future releases of the “Health Sector Economic Indicators” reports.

Altarum Institute (www.altarum.org) integrates objective research and client-centered consulting skills to deliver comprehensive, systems-based solutions that improve health and health care. Altarum employs more than 400 individuals and is headquartered in Ann Arbor, Mich., with additional offices in the Washington, D.C., area; Sacramento, Calif.; Atlanta, Ga.; Portland, Maine; and San Antonio, Texas.



CONTACT:

Altarum Institute
Jeff Moore, 703-575-1685
[email protected]

KEYWORDS:   United States  North America  Michigan

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