Since the start of the Great Recession, California has lost 1.3 million jobs and hit unemployment numbers unseen since 1982. But while other sectors struggle to retain workers, healthcare is one of the few sectors actually creating jobs, especially in hospitals. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, hospitals nationwide have added more than 84,000 private-sector jobs over the past year. That adds to the more than 5 million people already working in hospitals—500,000 in California alone—caring for patients, coordinating care in hospital pharmacies and labs, and keeping the facilities maintained. Healthcare overall has been responsible for 1 in 5 new jobs in recent years.