HWS Labor Market Pulse Index Shows Continued Improvement In U.S. Health Care Labor Markets

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) November 22, 2009

The Q3 HWS Labor Market Pulse® Index (LMPI), a quarterly barometer of local market healthcare workforce fluctuations released today, shows near-term demand for health care workers growing fastest in Houston, Orlando and Atlanta for the third quarter of 2009. The San Francisco Bay Area, Detroit and Los Angeles ranked at the bottom of the 30 markets tracked.

Among the findings for the third quarter of 2009:

•     Much of the growth is being fueled by newly announced expansion plans at organizations including West Houston Medical Center and the Emory Eastside Medical Center in Gwinnett, among others.
•     In metropolitan markets including the San Francisco Bay area, Los Angeles, and Sacramento, large scale layoffs at Kaiser Permanente had a material impact this past quarter. Growth also slowed notably in Charlotte although the Charlotte market still remains strong relative to the rest of the country.
•     In the most recent quarter, 16 markets of the 30 tracked showed signs of accelerated expansion (vs. 20 in the prior quarter) but only 10 markets fell below national averages.
•     The LMPI composite index, a representative basket of the 30 largest markets, posted a slight 1% increase in the third quarter of 2009 from the second quarter of 2009, as the national health care labor market began to slowly rebound and projects began to be put back on track.

“Although caution remains in a number of markets and the gains this quarter were small, it is still encouraging to see the national health care labor market begin to become vibrant again,” said David Cherner, Managing Partner of Health Workforce Solutions LLC, the company that publishes the HWS Labor Market Pulse® Index. “We remain cautiously optimistic and hopeful that health care will lead the broader economy on the road back.”

In response to demands for local workforce data that provides actionable information, HWS launched Labor Market Pulse® in 2008, a first of-its-kind, centralized and local workforce planning tool for health care employers in three major markets.

The launch of the HWS Labor Market Pulse® Index (LMPI) earlier this year expanded the footprint of Labor Market Pulse into 30 markets and now enables meaningful comparison, by tracking elements including temporary health workforce shortages and surpluses, facility and bed closures, announced layoffs and expansions, and local economic trends. Going forward, the HWS LMPI will be expanded to 36 markets and continue to be tracked on a quarterly basis both individually and in composite indices.

For more information on the LMPI, visit http://www.healthws.com or call 1-877-892-2430 x805.

About Health Workforce Solutions LLC (HWS)
Health Workforce Solutions LLC (HWS) is a leading research and advisory firm focused on workforce issues in health care. Founded in 2004, the clients of HWS include hospitals and health systems, health plans, professional practice groups and associations, educational and training institutions, foundations and government agencies. For more information, visit http://www.healthws.com or call 1-877-892-2430 x805.

About the HWS Labor Market Pulse® Index (LMPI)
The HWS Labor Market Pulse™ Index (LMPI) provides a quarterly barometer of local market healthcare workforce expansion and contraction. Patterned loosely after the Case-Shiller home index, the LMPI identifies and enables comparison of 30 health care labor markets by tracking elements including temporary health workforce shortages and surpluses, facility and bed closures, announced layoffs and expansions, and local economic trends. The LMPI will be published quarterly as part of Labor Market Pulse™ and distributed nationally to health care executives, the media and other interested parties. For more information, visit http://www.labormarketpulse.com.

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