Hospitals have a growing role in Pennsylvania.
Growth of health care jobs: Occupations related to health care also are growing steadily in Pennsylvania.
- A report by Penn State’s Center for Economic and Community Development found an 18.3 percent increase in health care and social assistance sector jobs from 2008– 2019, topping the list of the 11 growing industries across the commonwealth during that timeframe.
- The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry also projects the health care and social assistance industry will continue to be the biggest industry in Pennsylvania until 2030 and that many health care occupations will be among the top occupations with more than 30 percent growth.
An aging population: Demand for clinicians is rising as baby boomers age and live longer.
- According to U.S. Census 2021 estimates, Pennsylvania’s population age 65 and older and Pennsylvanians living with disabilities exceed the national average. These numbers are expected to grow.
- Projections by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania estimate that, from 2010–2040, Pennsylvania’s 65-and-older population will increase 66.4 percent. Demand for health care for the elderly—often the most frequent users of hospital services—is anticipated to continue its upward trajectory.