The Health Care Job Engine: Where Do They Come From and What Do They Say About Our Future?

Abstract

Health care has been cited as a job engine for the U.S. economy. This study used the Current Population Survey to examine the sector and occupation shifts that underlie this growth trend. Health care has had a cyclical relationship with retail trade, leisure and hospitality, education, and professional services. The entering workforce has been increasingly taking on low-skilled occupations. The exiting workforce has not been necessarily retiring or going back to school, but appeared to be leaving without a job, with potentially more child care duties, and with high rates of disability and poverty levels. This study also found that the number of workers staying in health care has been slowly declining over time. As the United States moves toward team-based care, more attention should be paid to the needs of the lower skilled workers to reduce turnover and ensure delivery of quality care.