Long term and post-acute care jobs will rank among the nation’s top employment groups in the coming decade, according to an American Health Care Association (AHCA) analysis.

The report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that the health care and social assistance sector will gain the most new jobs—5.6 million, or more than a quarter of the total 20.5 million jobs that are expected to be created between 2010 and 2020.

The top four groups predicted to grow the most in that time are all in the health care field, according to an analysis of BLS data by AHCA’s Research Department. Furthermore, the eight occupational categories identified by BLS as either the largest or fastest growing are at the core of providing long term and post-acute care services: registered nurses; personal care aides; home health aides; nurse assistants, orderlies, and attendants; physical and occupational therapy assistants and aides; and physical therapists.

The Labor Department report shows “our sector is growing in both projected numbers and importance,” said Gov. Mark Parkinson, president and chief executive officer of AHCA.