k-12 Tax & $pending Climate: America’s healthcare boom is a political trap
Healthcare now occupies a comparable position in the American economy, accounting for roughly 15 percent of nonfarm jobs and growing.3 According to a 2025 Kaiser Family Foundation analysis, hospitals rank among the five largest employers in 22 states and among the eight largest in every state.4 In many places, the hospital is the largest employer, the most important civic institution, and one of the few reliable sources of well-paying jobs.
Healthcare also absorbs an ever-growing share of what Americans earn and spend, making up about 18 percent of today’s GDP.5 In 1979, manufacturing was about 21 percent of GDP.6
