Hospitals spur trillions in state economic activity, report says [map, data]

Community hospitals employed thousands and generated billions in economic activity in 2013, supporting the industry’s long-held position as a major driver of state economies.

Hospitals treated 134 million people in emergency departments and 544 million as outpatients, performed 27 million surgeries and delivered 4 million babies in 2013, according to a new American Hospital Association report. That adds up to a lot when considering the labor and the spending associated with hospital visits.

Healthcare added more than 26,000 jobs a month in 2013, employing a total 5.6 million people. In terms of payroll, that adds up to $387 billion in the year or $930 billion when factoring in multipliers for earnings.

In addition to labor and benefits, hospitals pumped local economies with more than $782 million in expenditures on goods and services, overall contributing  $2.5 trillion to states’ total economic output.

Map: How healthcare spending boosts states (story continues below)

According to the AHA, the healthcare employment and spending have multiplying effects on state economies. For example, the report says every one hospital job supports two other jobs and every dollar spent by hospitals supports about $2.30 in other economic activity.

About one in nine jobs in the U.S. is somehow supported by the healthcare field.

Here’s the full data from the AHA report:

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