November 22, 2004

According to a new study released jointly by the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth (DLEG) and the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH), the state will need to fill more than 100,000 professional and technical health care jobs in Michigan over the next decade.

See the Report Document

“This report clearly illustrates what Michigan must do to meet the increasing demand for health care workers,” said Michigan Governor Jennifer M.  Granholm. “The report projects we will have 100,000 good health care jobs that we need to fill with qualified workers to keep our economy and citizens healthy.”

Health care employment provides $17.7 billion per year in wages and benefits in Michigan.  Health care employees earn an average of $34,300 per year (2001) and contribute $55,000 annually to the local economy.

The report issues several recommendations for state government to follow to increase its health care workforce ranks, including:

· Using newly-created supply and demand forecasts, occupational profiles, and a model practice database to assist Michigan Regional Skills Alliances (MiRSAs), workforce investment boards, and Michigan Works! Agencies.
· Conducting a statewide survey of health care workforce employment vacancies, turnover, and anticipated needs among Michigan health care employers, including clinics, physician offices, and hospitals.
· Maintaining the state’s roundtable for Health Care Workforce Development to review future recommendations to address workforce shortfall and advise on program implementation.
· Addressing issues posed by licensed and unlicensed professionals, technicians, direct care workers, labor unions, and employers.
· Evaluating the capacity of health care career education programs in Michigan to meet anticipated needs and shortages, aligning those efforts with Lt. Governor Cherry’s Commission on Higher Education.

DLEG Director David C. Hollister said growing demand for health care workers also reflects the aging of Michigan’s baby-boom generation and an overall increase in longevity.

“Michigan’s population aged 65 and older will grow by 25 percent, from 1.2 million in 2000 to an estimated 1.5 million by 2015, and it is well known that the demand for health care services grows as the population ages,” Hollister said. “We will have some exciting career opportunities in the very near future to replace well-paid manufacturing jobs that have been lost in Michigan in recent years.”

Without additional emphasis on enhancing Michigan’s health care workforce, shortages of some health care occupations – such as nursing, pharmacy, EMTs, and paramedics – pose serious threats to the future health and safety of Michigan residents.

“We will continue to ensure that our health care workforce continues to remain strong and vibrant to protect the health and safety of Michigan’s citizens,” said Janet Olszewski, MDCH Director.  “Health care also is an important part of Michigan’s economy and we need to redouble our efforts to prepare Michigan workers to enter the health care workforce.”

Olszewski said Jeanette Klemczak, the state’s newly appointed Chief Nursing Executive, will play a critical role in the state’s effort to attract, recruit, and retain health care workers in Michigan. 

While 40 percent of all demand will be for registered nurses, there will also be a need for occupational and physical therapists, pharmacists, radiographers, laboratory technicians, diagnostic sonographers, EMTs and paramedics, and health information technicians.

Health care is Michigan’s largest industry in terms of employment.  There are 445,000 jobs directly related to health care and another 233,000 jobs indirectly related to the field.