Northeast Ohio Healthcare Sector Invigorates Economy

Northeast Ohio Healthcare Sector Invigorates Economy

Northeast Ohio’s healthcare industry is an important
contributor to the region’s economy. It is a nearly $14
billion sector with 177,000 employees, reports the quarterly Cleveland Plus Economic Review
released by Team NEO. In addition, the research expenditures by
medical institutions and universities have nearly doubled, growing
to more than $660 million in 2012, creating new opportunities for
the region.

“Our world-class hospitals add to the region’s economy
by employing about 8.5% of the region’s workers,” said
Tom Waltermire, CEO of Team NEO. “In addition, we have a
unique infrastructure of medical institutions and universities that
attract research dollars that ultimately lead to innovative
products and therapies that can create new business opportunities
for the region.”

Additional statistics from the report include:

  • NEO healthcare employment grew 20% from 2000 – 2014,
    making it the largest employment growth sector in the
    region’s economy
  • Healthcare GRP  grew 25%, or $3 billion, from 2000 –
    2014

In addition, most of the economic indicators tracked in
the report are trending up year-over-year:

  • Total Employment is at 1.9 Million
    • Employment is up 9,700 jobs from Q4 2012 to Q4
      2013
  • NEO Unemployment Rate Increases Slightly
    • Northeast Ohio unemployment rate is 7.1% in Q4 2013, up
      slightly from 7.0% for the same time period in 2013
  • Construction, Service Sectors Experience Year-Over-Year
    Growth

    • The construction sector gained 1,200 jobs from Q4 2012 to
      Q4 2013, while service added more than 9,000 workers
  • Well Production Activity Growing
    • As mid-stream infrastructure projects are brought online,
      the number of producing wells has increased significantly since
      2011. There are 462 currently in production in the state

Team NEO publishes the Cleveland Plus Economic Review
quarterly to provide a holistic picture of Northeast Ohio’s
economy. It is the only regular source of collective economic data
for the 18-county region. The nonprofit organization uses the
information to attract new businesses and jobs to the Cleveland
Plus region.

Team NEO uses Moody’s Economy.com and US Bureau of Labor
Statistics data and Ohio’s Labor Marketing Information to
aggregate regional figures.