In this study we provide an in-depth examination of one industry sector, healthcare.
Healthcare is large industry that in most countries is expected to continue to expand with
the ageing population demographic that is common in industrialised countries. It also
represents a microcosm of larger trends in the labour market such as the increasing participation
of women, an ageing workforce, and closely linked to these demographics an
increasing number of workers combining work and care (e.g. mothers, couples in dualearner
relationships, older workers caring for elderly parents). Therefore, a study of the
health workforce is also an investigation of how to manage and respond to a diverse workforce,
whose needs and capacities change across the life course.