America's got a big appetite for health care such that through thick and thin, it will always have a need for health care workers. Ten of the 20 fastest growing jobs can be found in the health care industry, which despite the slow economy provided 14.3 million new jobs largely fuelled by the rapid growth in the elderly population, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. As baby boomers move into the older population, the health care industry will need 3.2 million new jobs through 2018, the bureau said in its 2010-2011 outlook. About 40% of careers in health care -- ranging from doctors and nurses to medical assistants and home health aides -- will be in hospitals, 21% in nursing and residential care facilities and 16% in doctors' offices. Most of these jobs require less than 4 years of college. Employment in health services has weathered periods of recession. Since 1958, when the U.S. Labor Department started tracking monthly unemployment figures, the industry has not seen a drop of more than 4,000 jobs except during the double-dip recession in the early 80s when the it trimmed 41,000 jobs.  |