Health Care Jobs in Mississippi’s Economy: Part 2
July 18th, 2012
Last week the blog covered the expansion of Mississippi’s health care industry during a period of the state’s economic history that has been challenging to workers and employers. Mississippi’s health care sector has seen job growth of 27% over the last decade compared to a 3.5% decline in jobs for the state overall.
The wages provided by many of the occupations in Mississippi’s health care sector also offer more Mississippians an opportunity to earn higher wages and support their families. The chart compares average wages for occupations that employ a substantial number of workers in other Mississippi industries to health care occupations.
Each of the health care occupations, from Licensed Practical Nurses to Medical Lab Techs, offer quality wages that provide economic security for a working adult or a 2-worker family with two or three children. In contrast, adults working as gaming dealers or in retail sales full-time may face more hurdles to covering their basic needs without outside help.
Several of the health care occupations in the chart, with the exception of physical therapists, are accessible with a 2-year degree from Mississippi’s community colleges, making them an attainable career path for working adults that want to pursue training connected to jobs with higher wages.
After adjusting for inflation, Mississippi’s workers haven’t experienced substantial wage gains in almost a decade. And the lack of wage growth has led to a decline in household incomes over the same period.
Investments in the state’s health care sector through the Medicaid Expansion components of the Affordable Care Act will considerably expand quality job opportunities for Mississippi’s working adults increasingly in need of higher wage jobs to cover basic expenses.
Author: Sarah Welker, Policy AnalystShare this article.
