US. Workers Wanted: Aging population presents double challenge in health care
Wisconsin’s growing worker shortage presents a particularly difficult challenge for the health care industry, especially in rural areas and at facilities that care for the elderly and disabled.
As Wisconsin’s baby boomers retire in greater numbers over the coming decades and live longer than previous generations, there will be more consumers of health care while the working-age population that provides those services is projected to stay about the same. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, those age 65 and older spend 43 percent more on health care than those under 65 and 230 percent more than those under 30.
“When we’re looking out 20 years, we need to think about policy actions we need to take now” to meet the demand for services, said George Quinn, director of the Wisconsin Council on Medical Education and the Workforce. “There are some significant things we have done, but there are other things we need to do.”
Read full content: Winsconsin State Journal
