With about 218,338 people across the metro employed in healthcare occupations, this sector remains one of the most important to the region for economic and community health. The metro expects to see a shortage of up to 36,000 (matching employer demand) healthcare professionals by the second quarter of 2024. This quarter, there were 53,817 healthcare positions advertised online in the region, representing a 70% increase from the second quarter of 2018. Unemployment remains low at 2% and lower for critical occupations, as low as 0.8% for the region’s (and the state’s) number one occupation in shortage: Registered Nurses.