Diversity Jobs Report: Healthcare sector offers positive news for diverse professionals seeking employment in US

Today Professional Diversity Network , Inc. (NASDAQ: IPDN) releases its monthly Diversity Jobs Report (DJR), which analyzes the employment situation for women, minorities, veterans, LGBT and disabled professionals. The report includes the Diversity Jobs Index (DJI), which measures the demand for diverse talent compared to the month prior. The February DJR highlights the healthcare sector, which has generated positive job growth for all diverse groups during the past year . The Diversity Jobs Index for January 2015 is 48.18, indicating a 10.9% increase in demand for diverse talent as compared to the month of December.

"Through the DJR, we are committed to sharing our knowledge of diversity trends and best practices with employer clients. This powerful tool helps HR practitioners build the business case for increasing diversity and inclusion initiatives," said Star Jones, President of Professional Diversity Network and the National Association of Professional Women. "As each industry's workforce needs continue to evolve, we will remain at the forefront of providing insight to help businesses leverage diversity as a strategic advantage."

According to the February report, the healthcare sector offers positive news for diverse professionals seeking employment in the US. While other industries are shrinking, healthcare jobs are expected to increase by up to 3%. A review of employment data in the past decade also reveals hiring in health and healthcare-related fields has been among the most consistent. Other report highlights include:

• Job gains for diverse professionals are due, in large part, to hiring increases in clinics with less than 100 workers.
• Education continues to be a critical driver in healthcare hiring among diverse candidates. For instance, degreed African Americans are three times more likely to land a job than non-degreed African Americans.
• Despite overall employment gains, average healthcare wages have risen nominally (+1.5%) compared to last year. Lower salaried occupations at small-to-medium-sized companies account for most new hires.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), a strong link exists between health and workforce productivity. Since more diverse Americans are unemployed and most people get health insurance through their jobs, health disparities are more prevalent among this group, particularly women and minorities. The report notes the shared benefits of increasing preventive health measures for diverse Americans. These include:

• Employee Benefits: Workers stay productive and healthy—inside and outside the workplace.
• Employer Benefits: A healthy workforce reduces longterm healthcare costs, increases stability and productivity and improves global competitiveness.
• Community Benefits: A community offering a healthy, productive, stable workforce is a more attractive place for families to live and for businesses to locate.

"February is National Heart Health month, so we also thought it prudent to highlight the interconnectedness of employment and health among diverse Americans," Ms. Jones added. "As the data suggests, a healthy workforce can help lower business costs and improve productivity, which ultimately benefits our nation's overall economy. Putting more people back to work is a win-win for everyone."