With the passing of the health care reform bill, many people have been looking to the health care industry for new jobs. A new study shows, that the growth of employment in hospitals was even more than was expected. According to a report done by the American Hospital Association (AHA), U.S. hospitals support almost one out of nine American jobs and are responsible for more than $2.1 trillion in economic activities. The largest component of the health care sector, the report finds, are hospitals. Hospitals employed almost 5.4 million people in 2008, in comparison to the 4.3 million people employed in hospitals in 1993. "Hospitals provide stability and even growth during times of recession," said the report. American hospitals treated 123 million people in emergency departments and performed 27 million surgeries in 2008, according to the report, and delivered 4 million babies. According to the Bureau of Labor Department, the health care industry will add another 3.2 million jobs between 2008 and 2018, and 10 of the top 20 fastest growing occupations are in the health care industry.  |