For those getting ready for this afternoon’s announcement by Eastern Health, here are some figures from Statistics Canada on employment in the health care sector in the province from October 2003 to December 2011.
From about 18,000 workers in November 2003, employment climbed to about 19,500 in mid-2005 before dropping sharply to about 16,800 by December 2005.
Employment then grew over the following five years, peaking at about 21,100 in 2010. Employment in December 2011 was 20,989.
For comparison’s sake, here’s a look at health sector employment levels for the three years from 2000 to the end of the Liberal administration in October 2003.
Starting at about 15,500 in January 2000, employment jumped to about 17,500 by February 2001. it climbed again within two months to more than 18,000. Employment hovered around 18,000 until early 2003 when it started to climbed again. By August 2003, employment was more than 19,000.
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