Hospitals track economic benefit

U.S. hospitals employed more than 5 million people in 2006 and had an economic footprint of nearly $1.9 trillion, according to a report from the American Hospital Association. The report showed that hospital jobs produced $284 billion in direct pay and benefits in 2006. In addition, every hospital job supported nearly two additional jobs, and every dollar spent by a hospital supported more than $2 of additional business activity on a national basis, according to the AHA.