Health Care and Social Assistance: NAICS 62

About the Health Care and Social Assistance sector

The health care and social assistance sector is part of the education and health services supersector.

The health care and social assistance sector consists of these subsectors:

• Ambulatory Health Care Services: NAICS 621
• Hospitals: NAICS 622
• Nursing and Residential Care Facilities: NAICS 623
• Social Assistance: NAICS 624

Workforce Statistics

This section provides information relating to employment and unemployment in health care and social assistance. While most data are obtained from employer or establishment surveys, information on industry unemployment comes from a national survey of households. The following tables present an overview of the industry including the number of jobs, the unemployment rate of those previously employed in the industry, job openings and labor turnover, union membership and representation, mass layoffs, data for occupations common to the industry, and projections of occupational employment change.

Employment, Unemployment, Layoffs, and Openings, Hires, and Separations

Data series	Back data	Jan. 2013	Feb. 2013	Mar. 2013	Apr. 2013
Employment (in thousands)
Employment, all employees (seasonally adjusted)		17,167.4	17,204.4	(P) 17,230.9	(P) 17,257.0
Employment, production and nonsupervisory employees		15,079.2	15,122.8	(P) 15,170.8
Unemployment
Unemployment rate		5.4%	5.4%	4.9%	4.3%
Layoffs
Mass layoff events		23	26	31
Initial claimants for unemployment benefits		1,461	1,601	2,395
Job openings, hires, and separations (in thousands)
Job openings		566	595	(P) 571
Hires		454	371	(P) 396
Separations		436	357	(P) 380
Footnotes (P) Preliminary

(Source: Current Employment Statistics, Current Population Survey, Mass Layoff Statistics, Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey)

Union Membership and Representation

Data series	Back data	2009	2010	2011	2012
Union membership and representation
Members of unions (percent of wage and salary workers)		7.5%	6.9%	7.5%	7.0%
Represented by unions (percent of wage and salary workers)		8.6%	7.9%	8.6%	8.0%

(Source: Current Population Survey)

Extended Mass Layoffs

Data series	Back data	2nd quarter 2012	3rd quarter 2012	4th quarter 2012	1st quarter 2013
Extended mass layoff events		244	54	(P) 50	(P) 16
Separations		31,987	6,222	(P) 12,309	(P) 1,882
Initial claimants		29,738	5,703	(P) 7,271	(P) 1,546
Footnotes (P) Preliminary

(Source: Mass Layoff Statistics)

Employment by Occupation

Data series	Employment, 2012
Home health aides	794,300
Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses	611,710
Medical and health services managers	240,580
Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants
Registered nurses
Note: These employment estimates include employment in both the private-sector and government.

(Source: Occupational Employment Statistics)

Projections

For projected (future) employment estimates, see the National Employment Matrix, which includes employment estimates by industry and occupation for health care and social assistance.

(Source: Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections)

Earnings and Hours

This section presents data on employee earnings and weekly hours. The latest industry averages of hourly earnings and weekly hours, as well as weekly earnings by union membership status, are shown. In addition, recent hourly and annual earnings are shown for occupations commonly found in health care and social assistance. This section also contains information on the average cost of benefits paid by employers, as well as recent rates of change in wages and total compensation.

Earnings and Hours of All Employees

Data series	Back data	Dec. 2012	Jan. 2013	Feb. 2013	Mar. 2013
Average hourly earnings		$24.93	$24.82	$24.86	(P) $24.79
Average weekly hours		33.3	33.0	33.0	(P) 32.9
Footnotes (P) Preliminary

(Source: Current Employment Statistics)

Earnings and Hours of Production and Nonsupervisory Employees

Data series	Back data	Dec. 2012	Jan. 2013	Feb. 2013	Mar. 2013
Average hourly earnings		$21.61	$21.66	$21.67	(P) $21.66
Average weekly hours		32.8	32.4	32.5	(P) 32.3
Footnotes (P) Preliminary

(Source: Current Employment Statistics)

Union Membership and Representation

Data series	Back data	Median weekly earnings
		2009	2010	2011	2012
Union membership and representation
Full-time workers		$685	$698	$706	$720
Members of unions		$801	$817	$801	$835
Represented by unions		$802	$823	$809	$824
Nonunion		$673	$686	$697	$711

(Source: Current Population Survey)

Earnings by Occupation

Data series	Wages, 2012
	Hourly		Annual
	Median	Mean	Median	Mean
Home health aides	$9.97	$10.43	$20,730	$21,680
Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses	$19.90	$20.37	$41,380	$42,370
Medical and health services managers	$41.96	$46.65	$87,280	$97,030
Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants
Registered nurses

(Source: Occupational Employment Statistics)

Employer Compensation Costs

Data series	Back data	2nd quarter 2012	3rd quarter 2012	4th quarter 2012	1st quarter 2013
12-month percent change
Total compensation		2.3%	2.3%	2.1%	1.5%
Wages and salaries		1.9%	1.9%	1.9%	1.5%
12-month percent change: State and local government
Total compensation		1.8%	1.7%	1.7%	1.7%
Wages and salaries		1.3%	1.0%	1.1%	1.0%

(Source: Compensation Cost Trends)

Data series	Back data	4th quarter 2012
		Compensation component ($ per hour worked)	Percent of total compensation
Compensation costs
Total compensation		28.85	100.0
Wages and salaries		20.54	71.2
Total benefits		8.31	28.8
Insurance		2.35	8.2
Retirement		0.83	2.9

(Source: Compensation Cost Trends)

Work-related Fatalities, Injuries, and Illnesses

This section presents data for the industry on the number of workplace fatalities and the rates of workplace injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time workers in health care and social assistance. An injury or illness is considered to be work-related if an event or exposure in the work environment either caused or contributed to the resulting condition or significantly aggravated a pre-existing condition.

Data series	2008	2009	2010	2011
Fatalities
Number of fatalities	134	133	155	138
Rate of injury and illness cases per 100 full-time workers
Total recordable cases	5.4	5.4	5.2	5.0
Cases involving days away from work, job restriction, or transfer	2.5	2.4	2.4	2.3
Cases involving days away from work	1.4	1.4	1.4	1.4
Cases involving days of job transfer or restriction	1.1	1.1	1.0	1.0
Blank cells indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria.

(Source: Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities)

Prices

This section provides industry-specific pricing information. The producer price index measures the percentage change in prices that domestic producers receive for goods and services. The prices included in the producer price index are from the first commercial transaction.

Data series	Back data	Jan. 2013	Feb. 2013	Mar. 2013	Apr. 2013
Producer price index		(P) 116.1	(P) 116.6	(P) 116.5	(P) 116.0
Percent change from previous month		(P) 0.2%	(P) 0.4%	(P) -0.1%	(P) -0.4%
Footnotes (P) Preliminary

(Source: Producer Price Indexes)

Workplace Trends

This section presents data on the number of establishments in health care and social assistance.

Establishments

Data series	Back data	4th quarter 2011	1st quarter 2012	2nd quarter 2012	3rd quarter 2012
Number of establishments
Private industry		817,863	(P) 820,267	(P) 826,375	(P) 833,824
Local government		6,808	(P) 6,753	(P) 6,739	(P) 6,748
State government		5,821	(P) 5,875	(P) 5,867	(P) 5,866
Federal government		1,177	(P) 1,167	(P) 1,161	(P) 1,149
Footnotes (P) Preliminary

(Source: Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages)

Other BLS Resources

The Editor's Desk

See industry studies in the subject matter index of The Editor's Desk (Current Edition).

Monthly Labor Review

See health care in the Index of the Monthly Labor Review Online (Current Issue).

Career Guide to Industries

See health care in the Career Guide to Industries.

 

Data extracted on: May 17, 2013