Capping seven years of Obamanomics, the United States added 292,000 jobs in December. Among growing industries is health care:
In December, health care employment rose by 39,000, with most of the increase occurring in ambulatory health care services (+23,000) and hospitals (+12,000). Job growth in health care averaged 40,000 per month in 2015, compared with 26,000 per month in 2014 [Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Employment Situation Summary,” 2016.01.08].
The Affordable Care Act was supposed to kill jobs. Not only has the ACA not led to job losses across the economy, but it has also led to more jobs in the healthcare sector as more people get insurance and can afford to go see the doctor for what ails them. Of course, that surge brings its own problem:
Put simply, HCA and its peers have struggled to find enough skilled healthcare professionals such as nurses and EMTs to meet this staggering increase in patient volume. As a result, these companies have been forced to hire people through costly staffing service companies, often paying exceedingly high wages in the process [George Budwell, “The Surprising Way Obamacare Is Boosting the Economy,” The Motley Fool, 2016.01.17].
But every labor shortage is also a labor opportunity:
On the flip side, this surge in demand for skilled healthcare workers is great news for folks looking to switch careers, or for those mulling over possible careers during their college years. After all, a governmental report on job growth issued last month predicted that medical assistants with a postsecondary degree could expect demand for their services to grow by a healthy 23.5% from 2014 to 2024. And nurses weren’t far behind at 17.6% [Budwell, 2016.01.17].
So, Kristi Noem, John Thune, who’s the real job-killer: President Barack Obama with his economy-boosting health care law, or you two and your Republican caucus who keep trying to repeal it?
Good point! There should be great job opportunities in South Dakota with an aging population. Do you have statistics for the state?
I’m guessing skilled healthcare pays a might more than minimum wage.
State statistics, Mark? Well, the Department of Labor and Revenue projects that from 2012 to 2022, ambulatory health care services will grow from 14,910 workers to 17,540 workers. That 17.6% increase is the largest projected for any industry in South Dakota, by percentage and by raw number.
Mike, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, healthcare practitioners and technical occupations in South Dakota earn a median hourly wage of $24.08 and an average hourly wage of $30.78 in South Dakota.
FromUSNews-2014 http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/data-mine/2014/01/13/new-data-want-job-security-get-into-health-care
17 of the 30 fastest growing fields for the next decade are in health care. Booyah!
The ACA has brought us mandated health insurance, great or is it? When do you think a $6,000.00 deductible makes good sense for someone who may need to actually have an office visit or two. Here is this, you can go to the doctor…but…you will have to pay for that visit out of your pocket, just like you did 7 years ago when you did not have health insurance. Unless, you have satisfied your $6,000.00 deductible, you are screwed. Same goes for your prescription drugs. Until you satisfy that 6 grand, you are on your own.
With a Bernie Sanders Medicare for all plan, that would stop. You would be just like your grandpa or your weird old uncle that are both over 65. Hillary does not have the fight to deal with it, Bernie does. We can have as many jobs as we want from the ACA, that is a good thing, the bad thing is those jobs may be false as they exist only through a mandated purchase of an expensive medical delivery system that is flawed. Are you going to listen to someone who is to tired to fight or you gonna stand with someone who has the fight right in his sights. Fear is not a leader.
Jerry I agree In Theory About $6k Deductible And Want Insurance Out Of Medical Care. They Get Monthly Premiums Per Person Averaging $1000 or More A Month. Nice Mandated Cash Flow.
Don’t buy a plan with a $6000 deductible.
Job growth is positive in any sense. Republicans keep spinning their webs to repeal the ACA instead of working on solutions to our nation’s problems.