The December edition of the Professional Diversity Network Jobs Index & Report focuses on the Healthcare sector and the position of the diverse employee and candidate in this rapidly growing segment of the US economy.

1. December 2014
Diversity Jobs Index and Report
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2. December 2014
Diversity Jobs Index
and Report
PUBLISHER’S CORNER
Star Jones
President, Professional Diversity Network
Gone are the days of doctors making “house
calls,” but one needs only to look at the recent
Ebola outbreak to acknowledge the critical role
of the U.S. healthcare system. Although the
deadly virus has not been eradicated worldwide,
the swift collaborative efforts of doctors,
researchers, policy professionals and other
medical practitioners offer a valuable lesson:
diversity in the workplace matters in healthcare,
too. This month’s Diversity Jobs Report (DJR)
outlines a few considerations for employers
and recruiters seeking to bolster diversity and
inclusion efforts in this growing sector.
Possibly more than any other, healthcare grants
a real-world case study on how and why a
heterogeneous workforce enhances productivity
and innovation. But let’s be honest, synergy
from employee differences does not happen
automatically. Diversity and inclusion requires
a concerted effort, dedicated resources and
support at the highest levels of an organization.
When allowed to flourish, research proves that
diversity can help healthcare providers better
meet the needs of the communities it serves.
While Ebola captured news headlines, there
are many other health crises facing America
that deserve our attention. According to the
American Heart Association, heart disease is
the nation’s No. 1 killer. More women die of heart
disease than all forms of cancer combined,
affecting some 42 million women in the U.S.
annually. Black women are 50 percent more likely
to develop hypertension—a major risk factor for
heart disease—than white women. Meanwhile, half
of black women are considered obese, another
risk factor for heart disease.
Like millions of other women, my personal
healthcare journey includes a battle with heart
disease, which required undergoing open-heart
surgery to repair a damaged aortic valve. Thanks
to the care of my amazing cardiologist, the former
AHA president Dr. Valentin Fuster and his team,
today I am a survivor.
From an economic point of view, increasing
diversity in healthcare makes good business
sense. From an ethical standpoint and perhaps
most important, it serves the cause of saving lives.
Certainly that’s something we can all get behind.
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3. Diversity in
Health Care
KEEPING UP WITH DEMAND
One thing is clear: the healthcare industry is a
critical economic engine that is increasingly tied
to the overall well being of communities in the
U.S. In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor
Statistics (BLS) healthcare will account for almost
a third of the projected job growth from 2012 to
2022. Unlike other sectors, such as construction
and manufacturing, healthcare employment was
seemingly unaffected by adverse economic
conditions and grew over the recession period.
In October alone, the industry added 25,000
new jobs and has consistently accounted for an
average gain of 21,000 jobs per month over the
past year. Experts say the growth will continue and
expect healthcare to become the largest industry
(measured by the number of jobs) within the next
decade, overtaking state and local government.
“By the year 2020, the U.S. will
experience a shortage of nearly
90,000 physicians.”
Despite America’s growing diversity, the sizeable
impact of healthcare on the employment situation
comes at a time when college enrollment of racial
and ethnic minorities in nursing, medicine, and
dentistry has stagnated. African Americans and
Hispanic Americans constitute nearly 25 percent
of the U.S. population, but account for less than
9 percent of nurses, 6 percent of physicians, and
only 5 percent of dentists. The number of minority
graduates in STEM-related majors is lacking,
therefore the competition for top talent is intense.
According to the Association of American Medical
Colleges, healthcare providers face the challenge
of identifying and recruiting candidates to fill open
positions for doctors as well as those in nursing,
healthcare IT, and practice management. By the
year 2020, the U.S. will experience a shortage
of nearly 90,000 physicians. Minority shortfalls
are hardly limited to providers of direct patient
care (e.g., nurses, physicians, and dentists). Non-clinical
areas such as hospital administration,
research centers, and public policy are also
struggling to keep up with demand. Moreover, the
current growth rate of minorities in the healthcare
workforce indicates that tomorrow’s healthcare
professionals will not be representative of minority
groups.
In a study by the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, the “Rationale for Diversity in
the Health Professions” suggests that greater
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4. workforce diversity may lead to improved public
health, primarily through greater access to care for
underserved populations and better interactions
between patients and health professionals. The
Institute of Medicine’s The Future of Nursing:
Leading Change, Advancing Health report also
supports this premise. A diverse workforce—and
the diverse perspective it provides—contributes
to enhanced communication, healthcare access,
patient satisfaction, decreased health disparities,
improved problem solving for complex problems,
and innovation, it cites.
“Just as Americans are
becoming more diverse, they
are also getting older and living
longer.”
Recognizing changing demographic trends does
not in itself establish the case for diversity in
health-related professions. However, a closer
look at the total healthcare ecosystem reveals a
group of interconnected stakeholders—each one
charged with a mission to improve the quality of
care while lowering its cost.
To ensure adequate care and improved patient
outcomes, these stakeholders are building new
relationships—often beyond the four walls of the
hospital. Improving the health of all Americans
can benefit businesses and organizations by
minimizing costs associated with insurance and
rising employee medical costs. As a result, the
positive business impact of workplace diversity
takes on greater implications.
The Boomer Effect
Just as Americans are becoming more diverse,
they are also getting older and living longer.
By 2029, when the last round of “baby boomers”
reaches retirement age, the number of Americans
65 or older will climb to more than 71 million, a 73
percent increase, according to Census Bureau
estimates. Research published in JAMA Internal
Medicine compared the health of multiple
generations and found that despite a longer life
expectancy, baby boomers had higher rates of
hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes and
obesity than their parents.
As this group continues to age, there is an
increased likelihood that more health professionals
will be needed, which presents a ripe opportunity
for the healthcare industry. From assisted living
and prescription services to physical therapy and
mobile health, employers that value diversity can
leverage this shift by staffing up to meet anticipated
demand from the millions of baby boomers seeking
services.
Workforce Diversity: A Healthy Approach
In the growing healthcare sector, research
suggests employing a workforce reflective of the
patient population results in improved access
to care, patient satisfaction, patient-provider
communication, and overall health outcomes. The
following best practices can help organizations of
all sizes better recruit and retain diverse healthcare
and medical professionals.
Understand The Landscape — Conduct an
assessment to gauge the effectiveness of current
policies and practices and identify areas for
improvement. Insights gleaned can guide decisions
about how diversity and inclusion aligns with the
organization’s mission to increase competitiveness,
and spark innovation in a particular healthcare
area.
Plan The Roadmap — Create a strategic plan
that includes measurable goals and objectives,
personnel policies/practices, ongoing initiatives
and expected business outcomes. This includes
identifying resources to achieve stated goals and
which senior leaders are accountable for results.
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5. Build The Pipeline — Bolster the number of
qualified diverse candidates entering the healthcare
profession by collaborating with educators, service
providers, professional associations, and minority-led
organizations. Partner with educational pipeline
programs, and support post-secondary programs
that provide early exposure to health professions.
Mix Things Up — Utilize a mix of online and offline
vehicles to increase the visibility of job openings
among a wider pool of candidates from a range
of backgrounds. Employers should also seek to
leverage resources available through diversity
recruiting partners. This may include offering
access to career fairs, résumé services, job
postings and networking opportunities to attract
passive candidates.
Put It In Writing — Openly discuss the organization’s
commitment to diversity as part of the interview
process. In addition to including EEO language,
reflect a diverse workforce in marketing materials
that depicts them as successful professionals
in all healthcare occupations, especially senior
leadership positions.
Be Transparent — When it comes to creating
a climate of inclusion, transparency matters.
Managers and HR professionals should consider
making all current and potential employees equally
aware of formal procedures for advancement.
Clear paths to promotion can not only attract top
talent, but also help retain valued employees.
November 2014
Diversity Jobs Index
The Diversity Jobs Index for the November
2014 report is 44.97, indicating a 23.87%
decrease in demand for diverse talent as
compared to the month of October.
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6. Diversity Jobs Report
Employment Data by Segment
In Millions
150
120
90
60
30
0
Unemployed Fulltime Parttime
Unemployment Rate by Segment
Veteran
Women
Disabled
Asian
Hispanic
African
American
All
Total Employed
Labor Force
In Percentages
15
12
9
6
3
0
Veteran
Women
Disabled
Asian
Hispanic
African
American
All
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7. Employment Demographics by Education
In Millions
100
80
60
40
20
0
No College Degree Bachelors Degree or Higher
Employment Demographics by Industry
Veteran
Women
Disabled
Asian
Hispanic
African
American
All
Agriculture, Forestry
Fishing and Hunting Veteran
01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 0
In Millions
Mining
Construction
Manufacturing
Wholesale and Retail Trade
Transportation and Utilities
Information
Financial Activities
Professional and Business Services
Educational and Health Services
Leisure and Hospitality
Other Services
Public Administration
Women
Disabled
Asian
Hispanic
African
American
All
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8. Employment Demographics by Region
New England
Mid Atlantic
Midwest
North Central
South Atlantic
South Central
Southwest
West All
01 02 03 04 05 06 0
In Millions
Veteran
Women
Disabled
Asian
Hispanic
African
American
What the Numbers Mean
Diversity Jobs Index:
• While the U.S. minority population has grown in recent years, employment diversity in the
healthcare sector has remained relatively flat. Competition for diverse candidates with STEM
degrees is intense, putting significant upward pressure on wages. However, if employers are
inclined to increase diversity hiring, data indicates there is a sufficient pipeline of qualified Hispanic
and African American jobseekers to help meet demand.
Diversity Jobs Report:
• In spite of the recession, the healthcare industry has been a key economic driver and consistently
added new jobs over the past decade. This growth is expected to continue to accommodate
the aging U.S. population, namely baby boomers. Minorities, particularly African Americans and
Hispanics, are underrepresented across almost all occupations in healthcare.
• Among higher paying jobs, this disparity increases, both for medical practitioners (physicians,
nurses, etc.) and administrators. Due mostly to nursing and administrative jobs, employment in the
healthcare labor force ranks highest among women at 74.8 percent (including education and health
services).
Diverse Workforce Labor Market Statistics
5.56
5.98
3.83
11.54 47.08
12.1
16.42
6.8
5.9
5.05
8.18
23.34 48.87
19.62
11.4
4.6
4.81
5.1
% of Overall Workforce Unemployment Rate % of Unemployed Workforce
Veteran
Women
Disabled
Asian
Hispanic African American
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9. Star’s Stars:
Diversity & Inclusion Winners
Each month, we highlight an organization that
has demonstrated a commitment to diversity
and inclusion.
The December DJR recognizes athenahealth,
Inc., a leading provider of cloud-based
services for EHR, practice management and
care coordination.
Segment Specific Highlights
African Americans comprise 11.54% of the
total workforce.
African Americans are strongly represented
in the Transportation and Utilities sector
and made up 16.32% of the overall labor
force in this sector during October.
African Americans are strongly
underrepresented in the Financial Activities
sector and made up only 9.13% of the overall
labor force in this sector during October.
Hispanics comprise 16.24% of the total
workforce.
Hispanics are strongly represented in the
Hospitality and Leisure sector and made
up 22.52% of the overall labor force in this
sector during October.
Hispanics are strongly underrepresented in
the Public Administration sector and made
up 10.3% of the overall labor force in this
sector during October.
Women comprise 47.8% of the total workforce.
Women are strongly represented in the
Education and Health Services sector and
made up 74.8% of the overall labor force in
this sector during October.
Women are strongly underrepresented in
the Construction sector and made up 9.18%
of the overall labor force in this sector during
October.
Veterans comprise 5.98% of the total
workforce.
Veterans are strongly represented in the
Public Administration sector and made
up 13.62% of the overall labor force in this
sector during October.
Veterans are strongly underrepresented in
the Education and Health Services sector
and made up only 3.7% of the overall labor
force in this sector during October.
Disabled Persons comprise 3.83% of the total
workforce.
Disabled persons are strongly represented in
the Agriculture sector and made up 5.28%
of the overall labor force in this sector during
October.
Disabled persons are strongly
underrepresented in the Financial Activities
sector and made up only 3% of the overall
labor force in this sector during October.
For additional information about the data and
methodology, please click here.
About Professional
Diversity Network
We are America’s leading relationship recruitment
network for diverse talent, with over three million
registered users, including: Veterans, African
Americans, Women, Hispanics, Asians, Disabled
Persons and LGBT professionals. Professional
Diversity Network is committed to providing
employers who value diversity and inclusion
with access to diverse professionals via online
recruitment communities and integration with
leading professional organizations. Our mission is
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10. to provide economic opportunity to all Americans.
By efficiently connecting diverse talent with
employers, we seek to attack the wealth gap in
this country.
We believe that by providing free access to online
affinity networking communities for professionals,
we can help diminish the professional network gap
that is limiting career opportunities for millions.
Professional Diversity Network has created
online communities for diverse talent that enable
professionals of common cultures and interests
to connect with the purpose of working towards a
common goal of professional development.
In an effort to connect employers who value diversity
with diverse talent, Professional Diversity Network
provides career services to many of the nation’s
leading professional diversity organizations.
Organizations like the NAACP, National Urban
League, National Black MBA Association and
ALPFA, as well as numerous other leading not-for-
profit diverse professional organizations, all
use Professional Diversity Network’s relationship
recruitment affinity networking and job board
to power their career centers. In addition to our
significant online presence, we also conduct
approximately 20 annual professional networking
conferences focused on career development
seminars and networking opportunities to promote
engagement between recruiters and candidates
in a unique face-to-face setting. We deliver
significant diverse applicant flow to employers
who have affirmative action plans, ensuring
recruitment value for their compliance budgets.
Professional Diversity Network has a suite of
products and services designed to address the
Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs
(OFCCP) regulatory requirements in a manner that
delivers proof positive evidence of an intensive
diversity outreach campaign. Results are defined
in an annual effectiveness assessment report
detailing job views, apply starts and engagement
points such as recruitment advertising.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Lalohni (LA) Campbell
lcampbell@prodivnet.com
Media Relations Director
For more information about Professional Diversity
Network’s products and services, please contact:
Dan Sullivan
dsullivan@prodivnet.com
Chief Revenue Officer
Office:
801 W. Adams St.
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Chicago, IL 60607
Professional Diversity Network DIVERSITY JOBS REPORT AND DIVERSITY JOBS INDEX is provided in partnership with Job Search Intelligence (JSI). JSI’s data are principally derived
from: U. S. Department of Labor, U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U. S. Census Bureau, U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, National Center for Education Statistics, U.
S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, U. S. Federal Reserve, and proprietary resources. All data and methodologies are protected by copyright, patents and pending patents. All rights
reserved.
Job Search Intelligence, LLC is the primary data provider for ETC. JSI provides the following statement regarding its sources of data: The data are derived from over 50 different data
sources within government agencies and educational institutions. These sources include and are not limited to: U. S. Department of Labor, U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National
Center for Education Statistics, U. S. Census Bureau, Common Data Set Initiative, U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, U. S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, U. S. Federal
Reserve. All data and methodologies are protected by copyright, patents and pending patents. All rights reserved.
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