January is Health Care month. In recognition of the role the Healthcare industry plays in our state, DEED recently released a series of reports, highlighting the labor situation in each region of the state.
The critically important role of healthcare workers has been highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare employs 387,500 people in Minnesota and there is extremely high demand for workers – all the way from entry level to specialized. Now more than ever, Minnesota needs health care workers – in hospitals and clinics, in nursing homes and other senior care locations, in homes and workplaces of people with disabilities.
The regional reports highlight the opportunities and challenges healthcare is facing in each part of the state, including Northwest Minnesota.
Health Care Demand is Off the Charts in Northwest Minnesota
As the pandemic stretches on, demand for health care workers is off the charts in Northwest Minnesota. In total, there were nearly 3,300 job vacancies for Healthcare Practitioners and Technical and Healthcare Support workers in the second quarter of 2021, marking a 65% increase from the second quarter of 2019.
