The federal government is viewing the next several years with bright eyes when it comes to job creation, and spearheading those prospects is nursing jobs, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Nursing jobs are projected to add 712,000 career opportunities by 2020 as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics eyes raising total employment by 14.3 percent and reducing the nation's unemployment rate to 5.2 percent by 2020. The U.S. Department of Labor announced last week the unemployment rate presently is 8.3 percent, the lowest it's been in three years.
"What looks like strong growth in that sector is mainly just regaining jobs that were lost in the recession," assistant commissioner Dixie Sommers with the BLS told The Wall Street Journal. "It doesn't mean people should think they can easily find a job. Someone coming into the field is going to be competing with a lot of experienced workers who are also looking for work."
The agency also cited physical therapy assistants and occupational therapy assistants as rapidly developing industries.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics breaks down the healthcare sector into five segments: hospitals; nursing homes; physicians' offices; dentists' offices and home healthcare services.