INR Features

National workforce projections for 2002-2012 suggest that there will be a strong demand for health care workers with professional as well as technical expertise. According to the projections prepared by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, total U.S. employment is forecasted to increase by 21.3 million jobs or 15 percent. Professional and related occupations, and service occupations - two groups at the opposite ends of educational and earnings ranges - are projected to increase the fastest and to add the most jobs. These occupations are expected to account for more than half of the total job growth over the decade.

Health related businesses are among the fastest growing industries. Community care facilities for the elderly, residential care facilities, and ambulatory heath care services, except offices of health practitioners, are listed among the top ten fastest growing industries during the next ten years.

Of the fastest growing occupations, 18 of 31 are health professions and health support occupations. The majority of jobs are assistive or aide positions, typically requiring on-the-job training rather than collegiate education. Medical assistants are projected to have the greatest percentage of increase.

Registered nurses rank first among the top ten health occupations projected to have the largest numerical growth. The need for registered nurses is expected to increase significantly with 623,000 nurses needed for anticipated growth and to replace the retiring workforce. More new positions are expected to be created for registered nurses than for any other occupation.

If these projections come to pass, there are implications for recruitment, retention and education of the health care workforce. The nature of the health care work place is bound to change with the increased use of technical personnel to replace professionally educated workers. For the next decade, health related careers will be in great demands with few declines expected in any occupation.

This information was excerpted from an issue brief prepared by the Iowa Department of Public Health Center for Health Workforce Planning and is available at the following:
www.idph.state.ia.us/hpcdp/pdf/workforce/ib_workforce_projections.pdf

The Center for Health Workforce Planning was created in the Iowa Department of Public Health, Bureau of Health Care Access, to assess and forecast health workforce supply and demand, address barriers to recruitment and retention, support strategies developed at the local level that prevent shortages, and engage in activities that assure a competent, diverse health workforce in Iowa. The center is funded through the Bureau of Health Professions, Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

www.idph.state.ia.us/hpcdp/health_care_access_content/rhpc/shortage.htm

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