healthcare careers

With the unemployment rate hovering around 10 percent, even healthcare professionals have been affected by layoffs. But even in a tight market, job openings exist, and employers are hiring people to fill them.

National Overview

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.BLS.gov), the demand for healthcare workers is slowing. Even so, the industry has added 559,000 jobs since the beginning of the recession.

The greatest growth is in ambulatory care - clinics and outpatient centers, home health services and the offices of physicians, dentists and other providers. Needed are registered and licensed practical nurses, clinic and practice managers, medical and dental assistants, and medical secretaries.

Also hiring are nursing and residential care facilities, including group homes and elder care facilities. Here, too, nurses - both RNs and LPNs - are needed, along with managers, aides, orderlies, and attendants.

Minnesota Outlook

In the seven-county metro area, included in the top 10 occupations in demand are registered nurses; home health aides; nursing aides, orderlies and attendants; and personal care attendants, according to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (www.deed.state.mn.us).

Demand varies by region. In northwestern Minnesota, for example, dental assistants are included in the top 10. In the west central part of the state, paramedics rank among the top 10. And in most areas outside the metro, the demand for licensed practical nurses is strong.

In addition, there are at least a few openings in most health occupations in all areas of the state.

A Tight Market

The good news is that there are job openings - especially for nurses. Most are in non-hospital settings: clinics, residential care and home care. The market, however, remains very competitive.

So polish up your resume, practice your interview skills, print up some business cards and get busy networking. For help with your job search, visit your local State workforce center. mwa.deed.state.mn.us/mnwfc /WorkshopList.aspx

Nancy Giguere is a freelance writer from St. Paul who has written about healthcare since 1995.