The Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010 expanded access to health insurance for millions of Americans. One likely effect of greater health insurance coverage is more demand for health care services, which will lead to a growing need for health care workers. In collaboration with colleagues at University of Washington, University of California Berkeley, UCLA and University of Minnesota, Healthforce Center researchers have been examining the likely impact of the ACA on job growth.

Several studies have been completed, including examinations of the impact of the ACA on job opportunities for people of color, on job growth in California, and on how new jobs created by the ACA can help build career ladders and professional growth for workers. Current studies include an analysis of the potential impact of the ACA on wages for physicians and nurses, and a study of how new care models spurred by the ACA will change the demand for health care workers.