Unemployment rates in healthcare industry fell slightly to 8.1% in April

Unemployment rates fell slightly to 8.1 percent in April according to newly released figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employers added 115,000 workers last month, which is down 39,000 from March and 45,000 shy of the minimum some economists had forecast. While the news is not as positive as many had hoped, employment in the healthcare industry is promising with 19,000 new jobs added in April and 26,000 added the previous month. Rasmussen College is working to meet the healthcare industry's driving need by providing graduates with the key skill sets needed to manage this growth.

A report by the Collegiate Employment Research Institute (CERI) found hiring is up 11 percent in the healthcare industry regardless of degree level, and that trend is expected to continue. By 2020, more than 700,000 new nursing jobs are expected to be filled.

"It is encouraging to see that careers in healthcare continue to grow, especially as the need in this industry continues to rise," said Rasmussen College Director of Career Services, Tamryn Hennessy. "At Rasmussen College, we make sure that our School of Health Sciences curriculum includes hands-on experience in clinical settings and is focused around requirements identified by industry leaders so that our graduates enter the job market prepared to make an immediate contribution to their employers success."

Despite stagnant unemployment numbers, the future looks brighter for this year's graduates.  According to a recent survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, businesses expect to hire 9.5 percent more college graduates this year than last. Compare that to just three years ago when the hiring of college grads was down 22 percent.

Rasmussen College is committed to preparing current students and upcoming college graduates with career services resources to help them develop professional career-seeking skills such as resume writing, portfolio development, and interviewing and networking skills. The College also hosts two nationwide Career and Networking Expos at each of its 22 campuses offered at no cost to students, alumni and the community. The next Career Expo is scheduled for August 16, 2012.