Brighter Futures Begin with HOPE.

Over the last decade, Mississippi’s health care industry has expanded and become an even larger employer of the state’s workforce. In 2001, 1 in 12 workers found employment in the health care field, and by 2011, the portion had increased to 1 in 9 workers (see figure). In mid-2012 the number of jobs in health and education services surpassed the number of jobs in the manufacturing sector in Mississippi.

As the health care industry expands, the sector also offers a pathway to greater economic security for Mississippi’s working adults and their families. The average salary for health care practitioner and technical occupations registered at $59,000 per year in 2011 compared to $29,780 for manufacturing/production occupations and $22,350 for personal care and service occupations.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) and Medicaid Expansion offer the state’s leaders an opportunity to provide more Mississippians with affordable health care that raises their quality of life, their participation in the workforce and participation in their community. The expansion of care can also bring investment into a growing health care industry that pays quality wages and provides much needed economic development. In both these ways, the implementation of the ACA and Medicaid expansion are critical to the future economic security of Mississippi’s working families.

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