Laid Off? Try the Health Care Industry

By AlterNet Staff, AlterNet. Posted March 18, 2009.

The 'disease care' sector is still growing.

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Nursing school seemed like a good idea to Tracy Kidd, but not just because she was interested in medicine.

Kidd, 37, and her husband recently took a massive pay cut -- the painting business they own in Mesa, Arizona, once brought in about $70,000 a month. Now they're lucky to get $800 a month. They have moved in with Tracy's father because their house was foreclosed on.

"I knew that nurses are always needed, and I didn't want what just happened to us to ever happen again," said Kidd, who started a licensed practical nurse (LPN) program two weeks ago that will allow her to work while finishing her registered nurse (RN) degree.

Kidd's logic squares with the numbers: While industries such as manufacturing have had decreasing job openings, there continues to be a deep need for health care positions such as nurses, physician assistants, pharmacists and primary-care physicians.

With the unemployment rate at 8.1 percent and thousands of Americans getting laid off every day, the employment landscape looks bleak. But some experts say there are many job opportunities in the health care sector.

Read the entire article here. Also see "Two Trillion Spent on Healthcare Each Year: A Sick Way to Prop Up an Ailing Economy," by AlterNet writer Joshua Holland.

See more stories tagged with: health care, economic crisis

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$70,000 per month? [Report this comment] Posted by: helenahanbasquet on Mar 19, 2009 4:35 AM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] And these people had to move in with Daddy? Haven't they ever heard of savings accounts, nest eggs, rainy-day funds? Or is that what they're using to fund her schooling? That's not free; my son's 2-yr program at a local college has cost us about $16,000. Tuition rates are sky-high right now, and many medical fields require at least 4 years. Not exactly affordable for most people who've just been laid-off, is it? I don't know about the rest of you, but I prefer doctors and nurses who go into the medical field because they have a sincere desire to help people, not because they need a job and think this is one they can never lose. An interest in medicine is a nice thing for a nurse to have but doesn't automatically make one a competent nurse. I think too the idea that people will always be needed in these fields is not necessarily true. Until we see universal health care in this country the demand for medical services is going to drop for the simple reason that people can't afford to pay for doctor visits and will put other needs above their health. There is one hospital in this area and like every place else they are laying off employees and have put a freeze on new hires. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] Huh? [Report this comment] Posted by: heid on Mar 24, 2009 5:13 PM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] Why on earth did AlterNet put this useless piece up? There is nothing here that adds up to anything. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

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