Healthcare Top Industry Sector for Flagler Jobs

New data from Flagler County’s Economic Development Office and Florida Commerce confirm healthcare employment in Flagler County now surpasses the accommodation and food services sector for the first time.

“Research from the Palm Coast Flagler Regional Chamber of Commerce has consistently suggested our region focus on diversifying our economy by creating better-paying healthcare jobs,” said Greg Blosé, President & CEO, Palm Coast-Flagler Regional Chamber of Commerce, in a media release. “With our public and private sector partners leading the way over the past three years, we have successfully grown the healthcare industry in Flagler County. This is a huge accomplishment and shows the power of our community when we work together.” 

Healthcare has been a growth industry in Flagler County as the population increased over the past 20 years.

“For over two decades, we’ve been dedicated to serving our community, and we are proud of our role in reaching this new milestone of health care becoming the largest job creator in Flagler County,” said Denyse Bales-Chubb, President/CEO of the AdventHealth market in Flagler and St. Johns counties, in the release. “A year ago, we opened the county’s second hospital, marking a $167 million investment in our growing community’s infrastructure. This second hospital answered a great need in our community because as our community has grown, so has the need for additional healthcare services. In addition, our two hospitals had significant increases in patients seeking care last year, which led us to hire more team members and physicians, with even more on the way.”

According to figures from the Bureau of Workforce Statistics & Economic Research cited in the release, the top three employment industry sectors in Flagler County are healthcare and social services, accommodation and food services  and retail trade.