Health Care's Hiring Boom May Not Help the Coronavirus Outbreak

Health care hiring has surged over the last several years, notes Axios . However, this influx will not necessarily alleviate the impending wave of coronavirus cases. That's because a large number of the new health care jobs have been on the administrative and clerical side like hospital billing, IT, and insurance contracting — not doctors, nurses, or other clinical staffers needed to help triage and care for the sick. Over the past three years, the health care industry has added approximately 914,000 jobs, with a big chunk of these jobs having come in outpatient settings like physician offices. On the positive side, many home health jobs have been created, which could help seniors who have chronic illnesses and need to stay at home during the pandemic. The biggest need moving forward will be in hospital intensive care units.