trendlines: perspectives on utah's economy, nov/dec 2009
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November-December 2009 Issue of Trendlines Magazine published by the Utah Department of Workforce Services. For more information, please visit Jobs.Utah.govTRANSCRIPT
Perspectives on Utah’s Economy
November/December 2009
Department of Workforce Services
healthcarein utah
Health Spending—an Ever Larger Slice of the Pie
Economic News pg. 8
Healthcare Jobs with theBest Employment Outlook
Economic Insight pg. 10
2 November/December 2009
DWS-03-44-0909
Trendlinesis published every other month by the
Utah Department of Workforce Services,
Workforce Development and Information
Division. To read, download, or print
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Department of Workforce ServicesAttn: WDID
140 East 300 South
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Telephone: (801) 526-9462
Fax: (801) 526-9238
Email: [email protected]
The Workforce Development and
Information Division generates accurate,
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Spanish Relay Utah: 1-888-346-3162.
Trendlines
Utah Department of Workforce Services
Executive Director
Kristen Cox
Workforce Development and Information
Stephen Maas, Director
Stacey Joos, Assistant Director
Kimberley Bartel, Editor
Contributors
Mark Knold
John Mathews
John Krantz
Jim Robson
Lecia Langston
Linda Marling Church
Kimberley Bartel
Cheryl S. Smith
Coordination
Connie Blaine
Designer
Pat Swenson
jobs.utah.gov
jobs.utah.gov/wi Trendlines 3
Perspectives on Utah’s Economy
November/December 2009
Department of Workforce Services
healthcarein utah
Health Spending—an
Ever Larger Slice of the PieEconomic News pg. 8
Healthcare Jobs with the
Best Employment OutlookEconomic Insight pg. 10
5 We're Getting CloseWasatch Front and Statewide
6Using Local Employment Dynamics
Data to Better Understand the Healthcare Industry
The Outlook
8Health Spending—an Ever Larger
Slice of the PieEconomic News
10Which Healthcare Occupations Have
the Best Employment Outlook?Economic Insight
12 Is the Recession Easing Up?National News
14 What is Healthcare? The IndustryWhat's Happening
17There's a New Education & Career
Planning System in Town: UtahFutures.orgInsider News
18 Pharmacist: On DutyOccupations
20 Utah Health ExchangeOur Guest
21 Iron CountyCounty Highlight
22 Netting a Job on the InternetDWS News
24Hospital Wages: A Rural/Urban
ComparisonThe Outskirts
27 Just the Facts...Rate Update
contents
Healthcarein Utah
pg. 24
pg. 6
4 November/December 2009
wasatch front and statewide | by mark knold, chief economist
jobs.utah.gov/wi
Although employment numbers are still falling, there are indica-tions arising to suggest that the
Utah employment slide is close to find-ing its bottom. One factor is that num-bers cannot move down at an acceler-ating rate indefinitely. They eventually reach a point where a downward run loses its negative momentum. Some-times the momentum breaker is an improvement in the economy itself, as job hiring picks up. Other times, as is probably the current case, the improve-ment comes with time and simple mathematics.
The year-over percentage of job growth (or loss) is calculated by comparing the most recent employment number to that of one year ago. As we move forward in time, the year-prior reference date will begin to capture the steep employment losses of the recession. Consequently, while Utah is still experiencing job losses, those job losses will be fewer in comparison to those experienced during the height of the recession. Therefore, the rate of employment decline will begin to moderate.
Still, job gains in a recession-busting quantity are also not just around the corner. IHC Global Insights, a Massachusetts-based economic think tank and consulting firm, estimates that the United States is only using 65 percent of its production capacity. If so, that is an historic low in the post World War II environment. That means there is plenty of room for the nation to kick its production into a higher gear without a corresponding need to kick up its number of new workers.
There is much evidence that the nation’s existing workforce is not utilized to its full potential. Extensive furloughs and full-time workers working less than full-time hours suggest the economy needs to fully use those who are currently employed more than it needs to add more workers to the nation’s payrolls.
This is also true for the Utah economy. It will be a while before the nation’s (and Utah’s) production capacity and labor force are pushed back to a level where additional workers, en masse, are needed to raise the nation’s output.
Did You Know...
We're Getting Close
Construction crews began •heavy work to build the six-mile light-rail track that will connect downtown to the Salt Lake City International Airport. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705327416/Work-begins-on-airport-TRAX-line.html
Utah is using state money •and federal stimulus funds to leverage long-term research projects with a commercial potential. http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_13286420
University of Utah researchers •have secured more than $7 million in federal money to explore ways to make geothermal wells more productive. http://www.sltrib.com/business/ci_13293581
It will be a while before the nation’s (and Utah’s) production capacity and labor force are pushed back to a level where additional workers, en masse, are needed to raise the nation’s output.
Trendlines 5
6 November/December 2009
the outlook | by lecia parks langston, economist
As a data geek, I love to wax rhapsodic about LocalEmployment Dynamics (LED) data. This melding ofstatisticsbytheU.S.CensusBureauprovidesindustry-
level demographic information never before available fordata-geek consumption. This LED data reveals importantinsights about Utah’s recession-resistant healthcare/socialservicesindustry.
Before we get started, let’s talk about the inevitable“caveats.” Typically, Department of Workforce Serviceshealthcare/socialservicedataincludesonlyprivately-ownedestablishments. However, for the purposes of this article,we’ll be looking at the characteristics of all healthcare/social services industry jobs—both private and public.Except. . .federaldata is excluded.TheCensusBureauhasyet toobtain thepertinent information itneeds from thefederal government (go figure). Employment numbers are2008averages.Otherfiguresrepresentthemostrecentfourquartersendingwith the thirdquarterof2008.Allfiguresrepresentthemostcurrentdataavailable.
War of the SexesTheagedistributionofthehealthcare/socialservicesindustrytracksverycloselywiththeoverallagestructureinthelabormarket.Themaindifferenceappearsintheslightlysmaller
shareofteenagersworkinginthehealthcare/socialservicessector.However,perhapsthemoststrikingcharacteristicofthedata occurs in the gender breakdown. Statewide,menaccount for 54 percent of total employment.However, inthehealthcare/socialservicesindustries,menaccountforaminor28percentshare.Yes,womenheavilydominatethisindustry’semployment.
Wage GapInaddition,thedifferencebetweenmaleandfemalewagesis huge. For men, the average monthly wage measuresalmost $5,300.Women post an averagemonthlywage ofjustmorethan$2,400.Inotherwords,onaveragewomenmake 45 percent of men’s wages in the healthcare/socialservicesindustry.Thecomparablestatewidefiguremeasures56percent.Partofthedifferenceinwagesmaybeduetothefactthatwomentypicallyworkfewerhoursthandomen.However,mostofthegapundoubtedlyreflectstheclusteringofwomenin lower-paidoccupationsandtheclusteringofmen in higher-paid occupations. In general, healthcare/socialservicesworkersmakeslightlylessthanworkersinallindustriescombined.
To learn more about the healthcare/social services industry:http://lehd.did.census.gov/led/datatools/qwiapp.html
Using Local Employment Dynamics Data to
Better Understand the Healthcare Industry
46%
54%
5%
27%
19%
11%
3%
72%
28%
2%
16%
28%
20%
12%
Female Male
14-1
8
19-2
4
25-3
4
35-4
4
45-5
4
55-6
4
65-9
9All Industries
Healthcare/Social Services
AGE
GEND
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ce: U
.S. C
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ocal
Em
ploy
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t D
ynam
ics.
Perce
nt of
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otal
Utah Healthcare/Social Services Industry Characteristics 2008
jobs.utah.gov/wi Trendlines 7
•Workersinambulatoryhealthcareservices(doctors/dentistsoffices,clinics,etc.)showthehighestaveragewages,whilehospitalsdisplaythehighestnew-hirewages.
•Ambulatoryhealthcareservicescreatedthemostnewjobsandgeneratedthemostnew2008hiresofanyhealthcare/socialservicessubsector.Thissubsectoralsoshowedthelargesttotalemployment.
•Nursing/residentialcarefacilitiesshowedthehighestturnoverratewhilehospitalsshowedthelowestturnover.
Utah Healthcare/Social Services Industry Employment
Four-Quarter Average ending Third Quarter 2008
46,9
97
5,90
4
2,15
5
35,4
73
2,39
8
452
$3,4
84
$2,2
69
20,6
51
5,14
5
1,22
2
$2,0
71
$1,5
29
15,5
49
3,10
1
899
$2,1
27
$1,2
76
$2,0
96
$3,7
60
Ambulatory Healthcare
Hospitals
Nursing/Residential Care Facilities
Social Assistance
Total Employment
AverageQuarter New
Hires AverageQuarter Job
Creation
AverageMonthlyEarnings
AverageNew Hire Earnings
Source: U.S. Census Bureau; Local Employment Dynamics.
8 November/December 2009
economic news | by jim robson, economist
Individually and collectively bybusinesses and government, anever-increasing proportion of
ourtotalconsumptiongoestowardhealthcare. The most widely usedmeasureforthetotaldollarvalueofall goods and services produced intheU.S.economyisGrossDomesticProduct (GDP). In 1960healthcareaccounted for 5.2 percent of GDP.Theproportionofnationalproduc-tiongoingtohealthcarehassteadilyincreased over almost 50 years toreachanestimated16.6percentofGDPin2008.
Analystswhohave studied theun-derlying causes of this dramaticgrowth in healthcare spending inrecent decades cite the followingreasons:Newmedical technologiesand services are constantly emerg-ingandbecomingwidelyused.Themajor advances inmedical scienceallowpractitionerstodiagnoseandtreatillnessesinwaysthatwerenotpreviously possible. Many health-care innovations require costlynew drugs, equipment and skills.
New treatments also increase costsas they are rapidly adopted by anexpanding number of patients. Ofcourse, some technological advancesdo reduce spending, but overall,medical technology and clinicalpractices have overwhelmingly in-creasedcosts.
Over time,asourwealth increases,people naturally allocate more oftheir spending to healthcare. Thedemand for medical care tends toriseasreal(inflationadjusted)fam-ily income increases. This resultmanifestsitselfintheincreaseduseof insurancecoverageinrecentde-cades and the greater demand byconsumersforhealthcaregoodsandservicestoimprovethequalityandlongevityoftheirlives.
Withthegrowthofinsurancecover-age,asevidencedbyasubstantialre-ductioninout-of-pockethealthcarespending,moremedicalservicesareused than would otherwise be de-manded if the costsweremore di-rectlybornebytheconsumer.
Another importantsourceofmedi-calspendinggrowthistheagingofthepopulation.Asoneages,thede-mand formedical intervention in-creases.WiththepostWorldWarIIbabyboomgenerationmovingintotheir senior years, the demand formedicaltreatmentsandserviceswillincreasesignificantly.
Anotherwaytolookattheincreaseinhealthcarespendingistocompareoverall consumerprice inflation tomedicalpriceinflation(asmeasuredbytheconsumerpriceindex).From1960to2008,medicalinflationhasbeen2.24timestheoverallincreaseinconsumerprices.
It is interesting to note that theUnited States is the only modernindustrializedcountrythatdoesnotprovide some kind of healthcarecoverage for all its citizens. Yet in2007,outofthe30mostindustrial-izedcountries,theU.S.spent16per-centofitsGDPonhealthcare,whilenoother country spentmore than11percent.
HealthSpending—anEverLargerSlice
ofthePie
jobs.utah.gov/wi Trendlines 9
P* = projectionsSource: Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Office of the Acturary.
Sour
ce: U
.S. B
urea
u of
Lab
or S
tati
stic
s.
U.S.HealthSpendingas a share of Gross Domestic Product
(for selected years)
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2005 2006 2007P* 2008P*
Medical inflation has
been over two times the overall
increase in consumer prices.
As our wealth increases, we usually divvy out more of our spending on healthcare.
26%
98%
71%
34%29%
48%
112%
121%
68%
45%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
120%
140%
1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000-08
All Consumer Prices Medical Care
Percent Change in
U.S.ConsumerPricesby Decade
10 November/December 2009
Which Healthcare Occupations Have
economic insight | by lecia parks langston, economist
The recent economic downturnproves one very important point.Whilethehealthcareindustrymay
notberecession-proof,itiscertainlyre-cession-resistant.Itistheonemajorin-dustryinUtahthatcontinuestocreateadditional job opportunities despite
recession. Moreover, healthcare oc-cupationswillcontinuetoprovidesomeofthebestemploymentop-portunitiesintheyearsahead.
But,howdoyousortthroughourprojectionsdatatodeter-minewhichoccupationsoffer
thebestemploymentoutlook?You can examine growth ratesor projected openings. Keep inmind that openings result bothfrom growth and replacementof individualswhohave left theoccupation.Boththeseindicatorshave their merits. However, wesuggest you consider thenumberof projected openings first, then
lookatthegrowthrate.
The Best Figure. . .Here’swhy:Ourmost recent10-yearprojections(through2016)showphy-sician assistants with a high growthrate—more than 5 percent per year.Registerednursesareprojectedtodis-play an average annual growth rateof4percent.But,considerthis:pro-jectionsshowalmost1,000openingsfornursesperyearcomparedtoonly40forphysicianassistants.
Whichoccupationprovidesthemostopportunity for employment suc-
cess?It’sregisterednurses.Inotherwords,don’tbedeceivedbyahighgrowthrate.Insmalloccupations,rapidgrowthmaystillresultinfewjobopenings.
InUtah,theregisterednurseoccupationisprojectedtoproduce(byfar)thehighestnumberofopeningsbetween2006and2016.Thenextfouroccupationswith large numbers of openings (nursing aides/or-derlies,homehealthaides,medicalassistants,dentalassistants)fallinthe“healthcaresupport”category.
These occupations are the least skilled of the totalhealthcaregroup.Moretechnicallyorientedoccupa-tionswithlargenumbersofopeningsincludephar-macytechnicians,licensedpracticalnurses,medicalrecords technicians and dental hygienists. Higher-skilled healthcare occupations in demand includephysicians(ofallspecialties),dentists,andpharma-cists(alongwithregisterednurses).
Nice to Know. . .Of course, growth rates are helpful in knowingwhichoccupationsareexpandingrapidly.Onaver-age,healthcareoccupationsareexpectedtoexpandata4percentannual rate—noticeablyhigher thanthe2.8percentrateforalloccupations.Interestinglyenough,oftheninefastest-growinghealthcareoccu-pations,fivefallinthelower-skilledsupportcatego-ry,threearetechnicaloccupations,andonlyone—physician assistant—hails from the highly skilled“practitioner”category.
It’s in the StarsFinally,wehaveonelastwaytolookatoccupations.Starratingscombineemploymentoutlook(basedonbothopeningsandgrowthrate)andwagestorankoccupations.Five-staroccupationshavethebestem-ploymentoutlookandthebestwagesofoccupationsintheirparticulartraininglevel.Thehealthcareoccu-pationsattherightreceivedafive-starrating.
the Best Employment Outlook? Untangling the
Projections Data
jobs.utah.gov/wi Trendlines 11jobs.utah.gov/wi Trendlines 11
CardiovascularTechnologists•andTechnicians
DentalHygienists•
Dentists,General•
FamilyandGeneral•Practitioners
OccupationalTherapist•Assistants
Pharmacists•
PharmacyTechnicians•
PhysicalTherapists•
PhysicianAssistants•
RegisteredNurses•
RespiratoryTherapists•
Five-star Healthcare
Occupations
For more information about the employment outlook for various occupations:http://jobs.utah.gov/opencms/wi/occi.html
Source: Utah Department of Workforce Services.
980
410
340
340
280
270
200
140
130
120
110
100
Registered Nurses
Nursing Aides/Orderlies
Home Health Aides
Medical Assistants
Dental Assistants
Total Physicians
Pharmacy Technicians
Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurses
Medical Records Technicians
Dentists
Pharmacists
Dental Hygienists
SupportPractitioners Technical
AverageAnnual
Openings
980
4%
2.8%
7.3%
5.9%
5.4%
5.4%
5.3%
5.3%
5.2%
5.1%
5%
All Occupations
Total Healthcare Occupations
Home Health Aides
Medical Assistants
Physical Therapist Assistants
Pharmacy Technicians
Dental Assistants
Physical Therapist Aides
Veterinary Technicians
Dental Hygienists
Physican Assistants
SupportPractitioners Technical
AnnualAverageGrowth
Rate
Utah Healthcare
Occupations with the
Most Openings 2006-2016
Utah Fastest Growing Healthcare Occupations
2006-2016
12 November/December 2009
national news | by mark knold, chief economist
There ismuch talk in themedia that the recession isbeginningtoloosenitsgriponthenation’seconomy.It is still tooearly todefinitively say the recession is
easing,butthefactthattherearecurrentlyconflictingsignalsabout the economy in the various statistics is probably asignalinandofitselfthattherecessionislosingitsgrip.
Historically,whenonefollowsthecycleofarecession,intheinitialanddevelopingstagestherearebasicallynoeconomicvariablessendinganytypeofpositivesignal.Itisquiteclearthatallthingsarenegative.Butoncearecessionapproachesor even reaches its eventual bottom, history shows theeconomicsignalsbecomemixed.Somebeginpointingup;otherskeeppointingdown.Thatappearstobethecurrentmessagefromthenationaleconomiclandscape.
Thehousingmarketwasbothastartingpointandamajorcasualtyofthisrecession.Yet,recentdatasuggeststhattheworstforthisindustryinnowbehindus.Salesofbothnewandexistinghomesarebeginningtoriseonceagain,andthehome-priceslideseemstohavestabilized.
Another factor is the second-quarter performance of theGrossDomesticProduct (GDP).Though it stillproducedafourthquarter ina rowofdecliningGDP, thedeclinewasnot as deep as anticipated.Most analysts are expecting apositiveGDPnumberforthethirdquarterof2009.Businessinventoriesarewaydownandappeartoneedreplenishing.
Infact,thisinventoryshortfallisthemainvariabledrivingmanyeconomicanalyststoassumethattherewillbeGDPgrowthinthesecondhalfof2009.
Thentherearethesignalsfromthedownside.Unemploymentclaimsarestillhigh,thoughtrendingdownward.JoblossesarestillbeingcountedonamonthlybasisbytheBureauofLaborStatistics,andtheunemploymentrateisstilltrendinghigherandexpectedtokeepgoinghigher.
Inarecession,unemploymentwillactuallybeoneofthelastindicators to shift fromnegative topositive.Thishasalsobeenobservedinpastrecessions.Particularlydeeprecessions,likethisone,producemanydiscouragedworkers—thosewhohavelostajobandhavealsogivenuplookingforanewjob.Therefore,theyarenotofficiallycountedasunemployed.Butwhenmanyoftheseidlelaborerssensethattheeconomyisimprovingandthattheymaynowbeabletofindajob,theybecomeactiveagaininthelaborforce.Whentheydo,theybecomeclassifiedasunemployed.Sothisactuallycausestheunemploymentratetoriseevenfurther,puttingafinalspikeonthatvariable’slongrecessionaryrise.
Therecessiondoesappeartobelosingitsgrip.Butdoesthatmeantherecessionisover?It’stemptingtosaythatitis,butarecessionlosingitsgripdoesnothavetomeanarecessiongone.Ifnothingelse,though,looseningitsgripisthefirststepintherightdirection.
IstheRecessionEasingUp?
A recession losing its grip does not mean a recession gone
jobs.utah.gov/wi Trendlines 13Trendlines 13jobs.utah.gov/wi
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis * Chain-weighted 2005 dollars
U.S.GrossDomesticProductPercentChangefromPrecedingQuarter*
what's happening | by john mathews, economist
AboutoneintenUtahworkersisemployed inhealthcare.Wheredo these healthcare workers
work? The broad industry sector ofhealthcareisdividedupintofoursub-industries.Mostpeoplethinkifyouareinhealthcare,youworkat ahospital.Not so. Only about 27 percent, or30,900,ofall114,400Utahhealthcareindustryjobs,areinhospitals.Didyouknowtherearedifferenthospitaltypes?Mosthospitalsare“generalmedicalandsurgical”butnearly4,000workersareemployedinpsychiatricandsubstanceabusefacilities,andthereareanumberof rehabilitation and transitional carehospitalsaswell.
Thelargesthealthcaresub-industrysec-toris“ambulatoryhealthcareservices.”It accounts for 40 percent of totalhealthcare workers, or 46,100. Theseare the doctors offices in clinics, out-patientcarecenters,laboratories,homehealthcare,andothers.InUtah,nearly4,900 establishments were active inthissub-sector.Mostoftheseofficesaresmallintermsofemployment.
Another21,300employeesworkinthesub-sector of “nursing and residentialcare facilities.” In 2008, nearly 500of these establishments were activearoundthestate.
Thelastsub-sectorissocialassistance.Itincludesindividualandfamilyservices,vocational rehabilitation services,emergencyandotherreliefservices,andchildcareservices.Combined,about14percentoftotalhealthcareworkers,or16,100, are employed in this industrythathasabout960firms.
Is healthcare a growing industry?
Yes, and it is largely theonly industrygrowing at this time. Healthcare isgenerally recession-resistant, notrecession-proof. Still, the industrycontinuestogroweven in lightof theshrinking broader economy. In 2008,employment inhealthcaregrewbyanannual rate of 5.3 percent. ComparedtoUtah’soveralltotalgrowthrateof0.1percent,that’sgrowthatlightspeed.Aspopulation grows and baby boomersage (the first baby boomers reach age65in2011),thedemandforhealthcarecontinuestoincrease.Regardlessofthemethod of healthcare reform that iscurrently being implemented, peoplewillstillneedhealthcareservices.
Healthcare Wages—Across a Wide Spectrum, Big Bucks and Small Cents
Wages in healthcare span the rangefromthehighestofalloccupationsinthestatetosomeofthelowestwages.There is adirect relationshipbetweeneducation and earnings. Those atthe top of the earning list are themedical professionals that includephysicians, surgeons and dentists—thoseprofessionsthatrequireextensivetraining and professional licensure.Also included in the top earnings aremedical and health managers. Mostof the high-level occupations in thisgrouphadannualearningsinexcessof$100,000.
What is Healthcare?
The Industry
Utah Healthcare Industry Sub-Sectors as a Percent of Total Healthcare Employment
& Number of Firms in 2008
Total Healthcare
Employment = 114,400
Nursing & Residential Care
19%500 �rms
Hospitals
27%70 �rms
Social Assist. (Family Svcs., Voc. Rehab., Child Care)
14%960 �rms
Ambulatory (doctors o�ces, labs, home health, other)
40%4,900 �rms
Source: Utah Department of Workforce Services, Workforce Information.
14 November/December 2009
continued on page 16
jobs.utah.gov/wi Trendlines 15
Healthcare Technologists& Technicians
23.4%Healthcare Support Aides
& Assistants
32.8%
Health Diagnosing & Treating Practitioners
40.9%
Medical & Health Service Managers
2.9%
*2006 employment estimate. Source: Utah Department of Workforce Services, Workforce Information.
Utah Healthcare Occupational Employment*
Total Healthcare Occupational
Employment = 85,230
The next group of healthcareoccupationsincludesthetechnologistsand technicians. These job titlesreportedmedianwagesfrom$23,000toabout$65,000.Thereisamixoftrainingrequirementsforthetechnologistsandtechniciansthatassistthepractitioners.Some require very little training andsome must have a bachelor’s degreeandbelicensed.These15occupationsinclude cardiovascular technologistsandtechnicians,LPNs,labtechnologistsand technicians, nuclear medicinetechnologists, opticians, radiologictechnologists and technicians, andothers.
Healthcare workers that support theabove two groups are the aides andassistants.Theyworkinthefollowinghealthcareareas:dental,homehealth,medical (assistants), transcriptionists,nurse aides, occupational therapy,physicaltherapy,andothers.Typically,assistantsearnmorethanaides.Wagesin these support titles typically earn$20,000 to $30,000 per year, butsome, like the occupational assistantsand physical therapy assistants,makearound$40,000.
Industry With a Future
Healthcarewillbecomeanevenmoreimportant industry as America’spopulation ages and needs morehealth-related attention. People arenot only working longer but livinglonger.Thisindustrywillprovidegreatcareer opportunities for that segmentof theworkforce interested in servinginhealthcare.
For more information on the healthcare industry in Utah see the industry fact sheet on line: http://jobs.utah.gov/openc-ms/wi/statewide/ifsheets/healthcare.pdf
what's happening | by john mathews, economist
16 November/December 2009
continued from page 14
Utah Healthcare Occupations 2008 Median Wages
Health Diagnosing and Treating PractitionersAudiologists $55,470Chiropractors 52,270Dentists, General 101,780Dietitians and Nutritionists 45,870Medical and Health Service Managers* 80,880Occupational Therapists 63,150Optometrists 101,730Pediatricians, General 165,480Pharmacists 104,840Physical Therapists 65,240Physician Assistants 87,300Psychiatrists 131,700Radiation Therapists 70,170Recreational Therapists 34,300Registered Nurses 56,640Respiratory Therapists 53,580Speech-Language Pathologists 55,860Veterinarians 71,010Health Technologists and TechniciansCardiovascular Technologists and Technicians $49,840Dental Hygienists 65,860Diagnostic Medical Sonographers 59,020Dietetic Technicians 23,370Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics 28,440Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses 37,290Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians 28,320Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists 50,580Medical Records and Health Information Technicians 27,370Nuclear Medicine Technologists 62,410Opticians, Dispensing 30,530Pharmacy Technicians 30,230Radiologic Technologists and Technicians 43,760Respiratory Therapy Technicians 36,910Surgical Technologists 33,370Veterinary Technologists and Technicians 23,670Healthcare Support OccupationsDental Assistants $26,610Home Health Aides 20,490Massage Therapists 27,850Medical Assistants 25,430Medical Transcriptionists 30,750Nursing Aides, Orderlies, and Attendants 21,590Occupational Therapist Aides 21,140Occupational Therapist Assistants 43,240Physical Therapist Aides 18,510Physical Therapist Assistants 38,320Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers 19,060
*Managers are classified in another category but included with the professional for convenience.
Trendlines 17jobs.utah.gov/wi
insider news | by kimberley bartel, manager
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tuition,andprogramsofstudyforall accredited, public and privatetwo- and four-year colleges anduniversities.
Findmajorsourcesoffinancialaid•for college and specific informa-tiononmorethan$550millioningrantsandscholarships.
Investigatecareersinthemilitary,•military work life, and educationandtrainingopportunities.
UsetheEmployerLocatortosearch•foremployersacrosstheU.S. thataremost likelytohire forspecificoccupations. It provides the em-ployer’s name, address, telephonenumber,andsize.
Assist your child with his/her•career exploration. You and yourchild can access the portfoliohe/she created at school, takeassessments, look at the RealityCheckfeature(howmuchwillhis/herlifestylecost?),andinvestigatedifferentoccupationstogether.
Utahfutures.orgcanhelpUtahcitizensplan and manage their careers fromgradeschooltoretirement.
There’s A New Education and Career Planning System in Town:
UtahFutures.org
Plan and manage your career from grade school to retirement!
18 November/December 2009
What do O. Henry, Benedict Arnold, Sir IsaacNewton,HubertHumphreyandNedFlandershaveincommon?Ifyouguessedthattheywere
allpharmacistsatonetime—you’recorrect!Apharmacist,as defined in the Standard Occupational ClassificationManual,isonewhodispensesdrugsprescribedbyhealthpractitionersandprovidesinformationtopatientsaboutmedicationsandtheiruses.Theymayadvisephysiciansandotherhealthpractitionersontheselection,dosage,interactions,andsideeffectsofmedications.
In early nineteenth century America, pharmacy was atrade,notaprofession,andenteringthefieldwasthroughapprenticeship programs. Pharmacists were experts inchemistryandbotanywithknowledgenotonlyofwine-making, but perfumes, essential oils and soda fountainsyrups.Mosttookprideinproducingtheirownmedicinerather than purchasing them frommanufacturers whowere scarce in number and had a reputation for poorproducts. Many of the current drug companies werefoundedbypharmacistsfromthatera.
Priorto1992,abachelorofscienceinpharmacywasad-equateeducation.Afterthatyear,allU.S.schoolsandcol-legesofpharmacywenttotheDoctorofPharmacyastheonlydegreeoffered.Itrequiressixyearsofstudy:twoin
occupations | by linda marling church, research analyst
Pharmacist: On Duty
jobs.utah.gov/wi Trendlines 19
pre-pharmacyandfourinprofessionalpharmacy studies. Topractice in anystate,apharmacistmustbelicensed.
About62percentofpharmacistsprac-tice in community pharmacies, eitherindependently owned or chain drug-stores, groceryordepartment storeormassmerchandisers.About20percentwork in hospitals and the remainderare employed by home healthcare,pharmaceutical manufacturers, healthinsurance companies, public health-care services, college faculty, and themilitary,tonameafew.
Pharmacistisdeemedafive-starjobinUtah, whichmeans that it requires abachelor’sdegreeorhigher,hasastrongemploymentoutlookandhigher-than-averagewages.
Today,pharmacistsareassistedintheirduties by pharmacy technicians andpharmacy aides. Technicians, whoare also licensed and under the di-rect supervisionof apharmacist,maymeasure,mix,count, labelandrecordamounts and dosages ofmedications.Administrative duties include main-taining patients’ records, preparinginsurance claim forms, and taking in-ventories. The duties vary dependingon state rules and regulations. Mostaretrainedonthejobandmoststateshaveputalimitonhowmanytechni-cianscanbeemployedperpharmacist.Thepharmacistisrequiredtocheckthetechnician’sworkbeforeitisdispensed.PharmacytechnicianinUtahisalsoafive-starjob.
Pharmacyaidesusuallyprovideadmin-istrative support, such as answeringphones, cashiering, stocking shelves,etc.Insomestatestechnicianandaidedutiesoverlap;inotherstheyareclear-ly delineated. A high school diplomaandon-the-job training is usually theminimumrequirementinthisfield.InUtah,pharmacyaideisaone-starjob,meaningthatithasalimitedemploy-mentoutlookandlowwages.
Remembertheearliermentionofsodafountain syrups? In the 19th century,itwascommonforpharmaciststosellmineral water, believed to have heal-ing powers. They often mixed bark,nuts,berriesandherbsinittoimprovethetasteandefficacy.Afteritwasdis-covered that mineral water bubbledbecause of carbon dioxide content, amethod was developed to carbonatemineral water. From that beginning,Pepsi Cola®, Vernor’s Ginger Ale®,Coca Cola® andDr. Pepper® were alldevelopedbypharmacists.
AnnualMedian
UtahUnitedStates
Pharmacist $104,840 $106,410
PharmacyTechnician
$30,230 $27,710
PharmacyAide
$20,350 $20,100
Data from Utah Department of Workforce Services, May, 2008
wages
For more information, see:
www.swsbm.co• m
http://jobs.utah.go• v
http://www.swsbm.com/•homepage/
http://jobs.utah.gov/jsp/wi/•utalmis/gotoOccinfo.do
http://jobs.utah.gov/opencms/wi/•pubs/licensedoccup/
There is a strong employment outlook and higher-than-average wages for pharmacists.
our guest | by cheryl s. smith, office of consumer health services
Offeringaffordablehealthinsur-ancebenefitsisanincreasinglydifficultpropositionforUtah’s
smallbusinesses.Smallbusinessesgen-erallypaymorefortheirhealthinsur-ancecoveragewhilehavingfewerplanoptions available. The Utah HealthExchange was created to reverse thatequation.IntheExchange,employerswillbeabletodesignateadefinedcon-tribution—aspecifieddollaramount—tobe contributed toward ahealth in-suranceplanselectedbytheemployee,alsoviatheExchange.Definedcontri-bution arrangements offer a numberof advantages to both employees andemployers.
The Utah Health Exchange givesemployers expanded opportunities.Defined contribution plans simplifythe management of a company’shealth benefit options. By enrollingin a defined contribution plan viathe Exchange, the only decision anemployer has to make is how muchtocontributetowardseachemployee’shealth benefit. Employers will nolongerberesponsibletochoosebetweenmultiple plans, insurance companies,and provider networks. Furthermore,by making a defined contributionratherthanchoosingacompany-widehealthplan,employerscanpredictandcontainhealthbenefitcostsfromyeartoyear.
Adefinedcontributionplanalsoallowsemployerstocontinuetoofferthetaxbenefits of an employer-sponsoredplan.Employeescanpaytheirportionof their health premiumwith pre-taxdollars,which reduces the employee’staxable income and also reduces theemployer’sFICAobligations.
The Exchange will help Utah’s smallbusinesses control their costs whileoffering expanded health coverageoptionstotheiremployees. Enrollinginadefinedcontributionplanviathe
Exchange allows employers to offergreatly expanded health plan optionsto their employees. Employees willuse the Exchange to compare plansand providers and select the optionbesttailoredtotheirindividualneeds;no more one-size-fits-all benefitspackages.
Advantages for employers are equallyas attractive. In defined contributionarrangements, employees, not em-ployers, can compare and select thehealth plan that works best for theirindividual needs and circumstancesviatheExchange.Employeesmayalsopay their premium contribution withpre-taxdollars,thusreducingtheirtaxliability. Certain plans available viathe Exchange may also allow pre-taxcontributions to a health savings ac-count(HSA)whichisthenindividuallyownedbytheemployee.
TheExchangealsoallowsforplanpor-tability, so employees can keep theircoverageeveniftheychangejobs,pro-viding thatbothemployersparticipateinadefinedcontributionplan.
Finally,theExchangeallowsemployeesto aggregate premium contributionsfrom multiple sources. The Exchangefacilitates paying plan premiumsfrom the defined contribution ofthe employer, the contribution ofthe employee, and other possiblecontributionsfromasecondemployer,aspouse’semployer,etc.
Until spring of 2010 the UHE isclosed for new applicants while thesystemisbeingbetatestedtoverifyallcomponentsworkinatimelymannerforthosecompanieswhohavealreadyregistered. Following the completionofthesystemteststhesitewillre-opento new applicants. Small businessescan logon to the systemand requestnotification when the exchangereopensforenrollments.
Utah Health Exchange
Advantages for employees:
Individual control and •
choice
Pay with pre-tax dollars •
Plan portability•
Premium aggregation•
Advantages for employers:
Simplified benefits •
management
Predictable and controllable •
costs
Preservation of tax benefits•
Expanded health care •
coverage options for employees
20 November/December 2009
jobs.utah.gov/wi Trendlines 21Trendlines 21
IronCountyisoftenovershadowedbyitslargerandflashierneighborto the south. However, the
county certainly deserves economicattention in its own right. Formostof this decade, Ironhas consistentlyrankedamongUtah’sfastest-growingcounties.
Manufacturing plays a particularlyimportant role in providing jobs inIronCountyandmaintainsthesameshare of total employment as in thestate as a whole. That’s an unusualsituationforanonurbancounty.Thisdependencecanworktothecounty’sdetrimentsinceadownturntypicallyhitsmanufacturinghard.During thecurrent recession, Iron County hashadtodealthedouble-whammyofahousingbubblecollapseandthelossofits“breadandbutter”manufacturingjobsaswell.
SouthernUtahUniversity (the siteofUtah's Shakespearean Festival) playsanimportantroleintheeconomypro-vidingjobs,anabundantstudentlaborsupply,andabackdropforoneofthestate'spremierculturalevents.
For more information on Iron County, go to: http://jobs.utah.gov/jsp/wi/utalmis/gotoCounties.do
Iron County
2008 Nonfarm
JobDistributionby Industry*
*Does NOT include covered agriculture. Source: Utah Department of Workforce Services.
0%
8%
10%
18%
1%
5%
8%
10%
11%
2%
27%
1%
8%
10%
20%
3%
6%
13%
11%
9%
3%
17%
Mining
Construction
Manufacturing
Trade/Trans/Util
Information
Financial Activities
Prof/Bus Services
Ed/Health/Social Svcs.
Leisure/Hospitality
Other Services
Government
IronUtah
county highlight | by lecia parks langston, economist
The Two Gentlemen of VeronaJustin Matthew Gordon (left) as Valentine, Carly Germany as Sylvia, and Timothy Pyles as Turio in the Utah Shakespearean Festival’s 2008 production of The Two Gentlemen of Verona. (Photo by Karl Hugh. Copyright Utah
Shakespearean Festival 2008.)
22 November/December 2009
dws news | by lecia parks langston, economist
Finding a job requires a multi-pronged attack. Just one of the tools in your job-search arsenal is the internet. But, perhaps you’re not a web surfer and don’t know
“ftp” from “html.”
Why even bother with the internet?It’s there 24/7.• It’s available anytime: weekends, holidays, the dead of night (when the kids are finally in bed)—anytime.
No Limits.• You can search for jobs in your own hometown or in Cameroon.
Demonstrate Your Leading-Edge Skills.• Finding an opportunity on-line or researching
on the internet before an interview demonstrates you have some
technical skills.
Explore Alternatives •You Haven’t Considered. Not
quite sure what you really want to be “when you grow up?” Self-assessment tools,
occupational exploration, training-program information are all online.
It’s Where the Jobs Are.• Many companies require electronic resumés and find applicants exclusively online.
Getting StartedThe biggest problem with the internet is the vast quantity of information. It may seem like too much information. Keep in mind that the internet is a tool, and like all tools, it is only as good as the skill of the user.
Learning to use the internet productively (like most things) takes time and effort. Don’t be overwhelmed! Ask a friend or librarian (or your kid) for help, if you need it.
Netting a Job on the Internet
jobs.utah.gov/wi Trendlines 23
Here are just a few links to get you started on that internet job search:•Utah Dept. of Workforce Services jobs.utah.gov
•Other State Job Bankswww.ajb.org
•Federal Government Jobs jobs.utah.gov/jobs/fedjobs.asp
•State Government Jobsstatejobs.utah.gov
•Career Builderwww.careerbuilder.com
•Hot Jobs (Yahoo) hotjobs.yahoo.com
•Monster monster.com
•Job Centralwww.directemployers.com
•Employment Guidewww.employmentguide.com
•Care Givers Job Clearing Housewww.carecareers.net
•Get a Jobwww.getajob.com
•Job Huntwww.job-hunt.org
•Salt Lake City Help Wantedwww.saltlakecityhelpwanted.com/home/89.htm
•Southern Utah Help Wantedsouthernutahhelpwanted.com/home/15.htm
Before you start your internet job search, you might want to ask yourself a few questions that will help you narrow your employment search.
What kind of work do you want to do?• Come up with general occupations that interest you—not specific job titles. Often you will need to search for job duties rather than job titles—many businesses use their own unique job titles.
Who do you want to work for?• Are you interested only in certain industries? Do you want to work for a large employer? Do you have a specific employer in mind?
Where do you want to work? • Will you move anywhere for the right job or do you want to work in Enterprise, Utah?
Finding the Right SitesThe right site for you will depend on how you answered the questions listed above. For example, large international sites are probably not your choice if you’re looking for a job in rural Utah. Here are some other things to consider about each site:
Is it easy to use?•Do they keep your identity confidential?•Can you search with precision?•Are the job listings dated so you know when they •were added?
How often is it updated?•Who runs the service?•Do you know someone who uses this service?•If they charge a fee, is it worth it?•
Of course, we think the best place to start is the no-charge Utah Department of Workforce Services web site: jobs.utah.gov. Just go to the web site and click on “Find a Job.” You can also use our online directory of Utah businesses to find employers in an industry/area that typically employs your particular occupation: jobs.utah.gov/jsp/firmfind.
24 November/December 2009
the outskirts | by john krantz, economist
Hospitalsrelyuponalargepoolofworkersfromahighlydiversegroupofoccupations.Naturally,with the wide variety of occupations found
within any hospital, wages will vary considerablyfrom worker to worker. To keep things simple, wewillexaminetheaverageannualwageforallhospitalworkerswithingroupsofcountiesduring2008.
Thedistinctionbetweenruralandurbancountiescansometimes be fuzzy. A countymayhave a relativelylarge city in one areawhile the rest of the county isvery sparsely populated. A good example is Vernalin Uintah County. Instead of using the traditionalrural/urbandistinction,thewagesofhospitalworkerswerecalculatedforgroupsofcountiesonthebasisofpopulationdensityorpopulationpersquaremile.
NotallcountiesinUtahhavehospitals.Daggett,Emery,Morgan,Piute,Summit,andWaynecountieswerenotincludedbecausetheydidnothavehospitalsin2008.The23countieswithhospitalswereseparatedintofourgroupsaccordingtopopulationpersquaremile,wherethe most rural counties have the lowest populationdensityandthemosturbancountieshavethehighestpopulationdensity.Asthechartreveals,hospitalwagesprogressivelyincreaseasthepopulationpersquaremileincreases.Theaverageannualhospitalwageis$34,096in themost rural counties,whilehospitalworkers inthe most urban counties receive an average wage of$45,589.
Whyarehospitalwages lower in rural areas? Partofthe explanation may lie with the size of hospitals.Laboreconomistshavelongrecognizedthatworkersinlargerestablishmentstendtoreceivehigherwagesthanworkers in smaller establishments. Only the largesthospitals are able to acquire and efficiently use the
Hospital Wages:A Rural/Urban Comparison
jobs.utah.gov/wi
mostadvancedmedicaltechnologies.Moreover,largehospitalsareinabetterpositiontoeffectivelyutilizeawidearrayofspecialists.Bothofthesefactscanhelpaccountforthedifferencesinwagesbetweenlargeandsmallhospitals.Itshouldn’tbesurprisingthathospitalsinruralcountiestendtobesmallerthanthoseinurbancounties.Measuringthesizeofhospitalsastheaveragenumberofworkersperestablishment,alookatthedatashowsthattheaveragesizeofhospitalsincreasesaswemovefromthemostruraltomosturbancounties.Thetwoupwardtrendsinwagesandestablishmentsizearestatisticallyrelatedandsuggestthattheemployersize/wagerelationshipholdsforhospitalsinUtah.
While it may be unwelcome news to rural hospitalworkers that their wages are lower on average ascompared with urban hospital workers, the rural/urban wage gap may not persist indefinitely. Utahis currently the fastest growing state in the nation,withmanyruralcountiesexhibitinghighpopulationgrowthrates.Asthepopulationincreasesintheseruralcounties,therisingdemandforhospitalservicesshouldtranslateintotheexpansionofexistinghospitalsortheconstructionofnew, larger facilities. If the employersize/wagerelationshipholdstrue,therural/urbanwagegapcanbeexpectedtonarrowinthefuture.
Source: Utah Department of Workforce Services
Trendlines 25
Population Per Square Mile Counties
1 to 10 Beaver, Box Elder, Duchesne, Garfield,
Grand, Juab, Kane, Millard, Rich, San Juan, Tooele, and Uintah
11 to 50 Carbon, Iron, Sanpete, Sevier, and Wasatch
51 to 100 Cache and Washington
101 or more Davis, Salt Lake, Utah, and Weber
Average AnnualHOSPITAL WAGE
$34,096$36,524
$42,502$45,589
1 to 10 11 to 50 51 to 100 101 or more
Empl
oyee
s Pe
r Es
tabl
ishm
ent
149 164 553 632
1 to 10 11 to 50 51 to 100 101 or more
AverageESTABLISHMENT
SIZE
Population per square mile
26 November/December 2009
Child Care Resource & Referral agencies offer the following services to parents:
• free referrals for child care, tailored to meet your family's specific child care needs• free information on child care programs in your area• free information on how to choose quality child care
http://jobs.utah.gov/opencms/occ/occ2/ccrandrcontact.html
Contact your local CCR&R and ask about the Kids In Care Program
Unemployed? Need help with child care payments while job searching?
Bridgerland CCR&R1-800-670-1552435-797-1552
www.usuchild.usu.edu
Metro CCR&R
1-866-438-4847801-355-4847
www.cssutah.orgClick on purple “Childcare Resource
and Referral” link
Northern CCR&R1-888-970-0101801-626-7837
programs.weber.edu/ccrr/
CCR&R1-435-586-87221-800-543-7527
www.childcarehelp.org
MountainlandCCR&R
1-800-952-8220801-863-8631
www.uvu.edu/ccrr
Child Care Resource & ReferralService Delivery Areas
Eastern CCR&R
1-888-637-4786435-613-5619
www.ceu.edu/childcare/
Beaver 4.6 %Box Elder 5.8 %Cache 4.3 %Carbon 7.0 %Daggett 3.3 %
Davis 5.4 %Duchesne 7.2 %Emery 6.3%Garfield 7.2 %Grand 6.8 %
Iron 6.7 %Juab 7.3 %Kane 5.1 %Millard 4.2 %Morgan 5.0 %
Piute 4.6 %Rich 3.7 %Salt Lake 5.9 %San Juan 9.7 %Sanpete 6.1 %
Sevier 5.9 %Summit 5.7 %Tooele 6.4 %Uintah 7.0 %Utah 5.5%
Wasatch 6.5 %Washington 7.7 %Wayne 5.6 %Weber 6.8%
August 2009Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rates
Next Issue:Watch for these features in our
September 2009Unemployment Rates
Changes From Last Year
Utah Unemployment Rate 6.2 % Up 2.8 pointsU.S. Unemployment Rate 9.8 % Up 3.6 points
Utah Nonfarm Jobs (000s) 1,210.1 Down 4.1 %U.S. Nonfarm Jobs (000s) 131,306.0 Down 4.2 %
August 2009 Consumer Price Index RatesU.S. Consumer Price Index 215.8 Down 1.5%U.S. Producer Price Index 174.3 Down 4.3%
Source: Utah Department of Workforce Services
justthe facts...
jobs.utah.gov/wi Trendlines 27
rate update | workforce information
Theme:A Look Forward and Back
County Highlight: Garfield
Occupation:Police Officer
Find it atjobs.utah.gov
Presorted StandardUS Postage
PAIDSLC, UT
Permit # 4621
Utah Department of Workforce ServicesWorkforce Development and Information Division140 E. 300 S.Salt Lake City, UT 84111
What do they make?
How much training?
What is the job outlook?