Unemployment is rising, and few businesses are hiring. Spending on everything from houses to horses is slow.
One bright spot in Central Kentucky's economic picture is health care: Lexington's hospitals are hiring, and their administrators anticipate a continuing need for trained professionals.
"In almost every area of medicine, there's a shortage" said Dr. Michael Karpf, executive vice president for health affairs at the University of Kentucky. According to the Education and Workforce Development Cabinet, health and educational services was one of three major sectors to see increases in the number of jobs between November 2007 and November 2008. The other sectors adding jobs were government and natural resources.
The need in health care goes far beyond nurses and doctors. There are technicians to run MRI machines and take CAT scans, X-rays and ultrasounds; physical therapists; physician assistants; pharmacists; pharmacy assistants; lab technicians; and the many other professionals who make up the allied health professions.
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