Healthcare jobs continue to rise despite static prices for hospitals and physicians, according to data from the monthly Health Sector Economic Indicators briefs released by Altarum Institute's Center for Sustainable Health Spending.
Here are three findings from the data.
1. Healthcare added about 45,200 jobs in April 2015 — 11,800 of which were added by hospitals — continuing the surge that began roughly one year ago, according to the data. Over the past year, healthcare has added 390,000 jobs, and in the past nine months, hospital job growth has averaged more than 9,000 per month. On a year-over-year basis, health job growth (2.7 percent) now exceeds nonhealth growth (2.1 percent).
2. Healthcare prices in March 2015 rose 1.3 percent compared to March 2014, but hospital prices rose only 0.4 percent, while physician and clinical services prices fell 0.6 percent. Prescription drug prices rose 5.7 percent, the second highest reading since February 2002.
3. Preliminary estimates show that national health spending in March 2015 rose 6.8 percent compared to March 2014. Health spending — at $3.2 trillion — now represents 18.1 percent of gross domestic product, the first time ever this share has breached the 18 percent level, the data shows.
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