Health care employment surges 23 percent since 2000

Employment in Hawai‘i health care and social assistance industries grew 23 percent since 2000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, but hospital employment is down. Total employment in these industries was 59,300 as of April, up from 48,300 in April 2000.

Included in the health care and social assistance sector are physicians' offices, hospitals, nursing and residential care facilities and child day-care facilities.

All subsectors, except hospitals, saw employment increases. Hospitals declined about 5 percent from 14,800 in April 2000 to 14,100 in April 2008. Ambulatory health care services increased 34 percent from 17,600 in April 2000 to 23,500 in April 2008.

Employment at nursing and residential care facilities grew by 32 percent to 7,000 employees, up from 5,300 in April 2000. The number of social assistance workers increased 40 percent from 10,400 in April 2000 to 14,600 in April 2008.