According to Riverbird Research, the number of jobs in the healthcare industry, including the social assistance sector, decreased over a five-year span between 2018 and 2023.

The number of jobs in the healthcare industry in an 18-county region of WNC decreased by 6% between 2018 and 2023, which did not mirror the state’s overall average jobs growth rate of 6%. The healthcare and social assistance industry supported 50,723 jobs across 3,071 payrolled business locations, earning an average annual wage of $57,128.

The highest concentration is in Buncombe County which supports 22,128 jobs, followed by Henderson County’s healthcare and social assistance industry which supports 7,489 jobs.