Hottest regions for healthcare jobs

Healthcare is the nation’s largest private-sector employer and one of the only sectors of the country’s economy that continued to grow even in the depths of recession.

A new study by CareerBuilder Health Care and Economic Modeling Specialists International pinpoints which areas of the country have the most healthcare jobs and which locations and occupations are growing the fastest.

Here are some of the key findings.

Fastest growing metropolitan areas for healthcare jobs

1. Richmond, Va.

“Richmond has seen big growth in general medical and surgical hospitals (private), as well as home healthcare services and offices of physicians,” the report said. It also is well-concentrated in medical laboratories – another growing healthcare sector.

2. Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, Texas

“This post-recession heavyweight has seen massive growth in home healthcare services, general medical and private surgical hospitals and offices of physicians,” the report stated.

3. Boise City-Nampa, Idaho

According to the report, general medical and private surgical hospitals have grown by more than a 1,000 jobs since 2012 in Boise. “This industry is 39 percent more concentrated in Boise than the national average.”

4. Grand Rapids-Wyoming, Mich.

Grand Rapids' largest-employing and strongest-performing healthcare sector is general medical and private surgical hospitals, the report said. Hospitals have added nearly 1,600 positions since 2010, an 8 percent increase. Jobs in private psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals are five times more concentrated in Grand Rapids than the nation.

5. Las Vegas-Paradise, Nev.

The largest areas of growth in Las Vegas, the report said, were in home healthcare services and services for the elderly and persons with disabilities. Jobs in these areas are up 13 percent and 10 percent, respectively, since 2012, the report said. The diagnostic imaging center industry is also growing, up 7 percent, nearly three times more concentrated in Las Vegas than the nation.

[See also: Pressure on home care industry.]

States with the highest share of healthcare jobs

The highest share of healthcare jobs in the country went to Rhode Island (16.5 percent), West Virginia (16 percent) and Maine (15.6 percent). The data pointed to the fact all three states have larger-than-average concentrations of residents 60 years or older, which increases the need for healthcare services.

According to the report, in six other states, healthcare accounted for 15 percent or more of all jobs: Pennsylvania (15.7 percent), New York (15.6 percent), Massachusetts (15.3 percent), Minnesota (15.2 percent), Vermont (15.1 percent) and Connecticut (15.1 percent). Ohio, at 14.7 percent, fell just behind these states.

Fastest-growing healthcare sectors
Of the fastest-growing healthcare sectors, four have far eclipsed the rest since last year: home healthcare services; offices of physicians; general medical and surgical hospitals (private); and services for the elderly and persons with disabilities. Each has added at least 45,000 jobs nationwide since 2012.