The Physical Therapyjob market has long been predicted to be an area ripe for US laborshortages. The 2014 Occupational OutlookHandbook projectsthat employment of Physical Therapists is expected to grow by 36 percentthrough 2022, which is “mush faster than the average for all occupations.”
The ConferenceBoard’s new study FromNot Enough Jobs to Not Enough Workers now reports that aging populationswill cause even greater shortages than originally predicted in three targeted industries. In a surprise to no one, healthcare is one ofthese three targeted industries.
The pressrelease from the study says that:
Health-relatedoccupations. The same aging of the U.S. population that will curtailworking-age population growth to as low as 0.15 percent by 2030 is also drivingup demand for medical workers. At the same time, high education and experiencerequirements limit entry into the job market. The result is a dearth in manyhealthcare professions, including occupational therapy assistants, physicaltherapists and therapist assistants, nurse practitioners and midwives, anddental hygienists. Among doctors, optometrists and podiatrists are thespecialists most at risk of shortage, with the general physicians and surgeonscategory not far behind.
The study has beencited in the WallStreet Journal, BloombergBusinessweek, and PTin Motion.