Labor Union Blog

The United States is approaching a crisis point when it comes to public health workers. Jesse Russell reports:

A new report from the Association Schools of Pubic Health has some startling statistics about the future of the U.S. public health workforce: By the year 2020, the country will need an estimated 250,000 more public health workers. Over the ten years between 1980 and the year 2000, the workforce lost 50,000 workers, leaving fewer resources to deal with a growing population. According to the report, by the year 2012, 23 percent of the current workforce will be eligible to retire; that amounts to nearly 110,000 workers. This study by the Association lays out ways to avert a crisis in the public health sector. They suggest a increase in funding for professional education. In order to keep up, schools of public health will need to train three times as many students over 12 years as they are currently. Schools also need to encourage capacity growth to allow for a larger graduate-level student body. Also, it is suggested by the organization that the United States form a global health service that can coordinate U.S. efforts to assist in international areas of need.