Fresh research by the American Health Care Association (AHCA) confirms news in the government’s job report last week that health care jobs, notably in the long term and post-acute care sector, will be a leading source of employment over the next decade.

The rosier jobs report that showed the nation’s unemployment rate falling to 8.3 percent also offered the Labor Department’s projection that health care jobs are a likely source of future job growth, though such an expansion is under threat from reimbursement shortfalls and cuts for the Medicaid and Medicare programs.

“Lost in last week’s welcome news on the economy was a Labor Department’s report showing what we’ve known for a while—our sector is growing in both projected numbers and importance,” said Gov. Mark Parkinson, president and chief executive officer of AHCA/NCAL.

We as a profession are eager to be part of the solution to our nation’s future health care challenges. But we need our partners in Congress and the administration to understand this position at the top requires the necessary funds to remain there.”

In its most recent jobs report, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that the health care and social assistance sector will gain the most new jobs – 5.6 million of the 20.5 million new jobs the agency predicts will be created between 2010 and 2020. Studies show Americans aged 65 and older are expected to represent 19 percent of the population by 2030 – a jump from 12.4 percent in the year 2000.

An initial analysis of the report by AHCA research reveals that the top four of the 22 major occupational groups flagged for the greatest growth in employment in this decade are in the field of health care, with construction and extraction occupations rounding out the top five growth areas.

The report also reveals that eight of the 30 largest or fastest growing occupations – including the two most rapidly expanding categories according to BLS projections—are integral to providing quality long term and post-acute care. These eight are registered nurses; personal care aides; home health aides; nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants; physical and occupational therapy assistants and aides; and physical therapists.​