Paradoxically, the global COVID-19 pandemic proved to be anything but a boon for the nation’s healthcare industry. Millions of Americans sought to avoid exposure to the lethal virus by skipping routine physician and dentist appointments, postponing elective surgeries, and in some cases, simply ignoring minor and major physical ailments. Hospitals and physician offices were hit especially hard early in the pandemic, with visits falling more than 40 percent over the previous spring.

Healthcare is the nation’s largest employer, but its impact is felt unevenly across the United States. A Social Explorer analysis of data compiled by Easy Analytic Software Inc. found the counties with labor forces most dependent on healthcare in 2020 were Danville City, Va.; Kanawha County, W.Va.; Allen County, Ohio; Rapides Parish, La.; and Cabell County, W.Va. Discover how important healthcare employment is to your county with Social Explorer’s easy-to-use, customizable maps.

Index is measured in relation to a neutral level of 100. Index values above 100 indicate that key industry indicators are in a period of expansion, while index values below 100 represent a period of contraction for key industry indicators. 

Medical Index, 2020. Click here to explore further.

Author: Frank Bass