



Forget Tech and Hollywood. California Is Powered by Healthcare Jobs.
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Healthcare jobs are keeping the U.S. labor market humming.
And they’re keeping California afloat.Hiring for health and social-assistance jobs in the Golden State grew 25% in the four-year period from March 2022 to March 2026, according to analysis of Labor Department data by bipartisan think tank Economic Innovation Group. These are often low-paying jobs in roles like senior care, the data show.Without those sectors, the state hosting the nation’s high-tech and entertainment hubs would have lost jobs in that time period.
This gap between health-related and other parts of the economy proved greater in California than in any other U.S. state, according to EIG.The latest federal jobs report showed health continuing to play a huge role: jobs in healthcare and social assistance accounted for about 47% of the higher-than-expected 115,000 gain in April.EIG analyzed a three-year span of the most recent Labor Department data to cover a mixed period for the labor market, which saw a dramatic cooling off after a postpandemic hiring boom.
Among some lesser-populated states, Oregon topped the list for the weakest labor market in that span beyond healthcare and social-assistance jobs: down 1.5% without those sectors, compared with up 1.4% when they’re included.Economists say several factors are helping drive the healthcare boom, both nationwide and in California. One is broad: an aging population that needs lots of medical care.California, along with other states including Oregon and Washington, have also made a push to provide in-home supportive services to older adults to try to reduce the need for hospital care.
Read on livemint.com