Health care and HP make national headlines

The health care industry has grown throughout the recession, and is projected to add 3.2 million new jobs nationwide between 2008 and 2018. But federal and state budget cuts may threaten this growth, according to an article in the New York Times. "The cuts in government programs like Medicare and Medicaid, and pressure to reduce costs, are thwarting health care employers in trying to meet the rising demand for their services." Health care experts point to slower hiring in recent months, while help-wanted online ads for health care workers dropped by 61,200 listings in July.

In other national news, Hewlett-Packard Co., which has significant employment here in Oregon, announced yesterday that it would cease producing its TouchPad tablet and may sell its personal computer business. CNN Money reports that the company's PC sales have dropped in the face of competition from Apple's iPad tablets. The article suggests this may be a trend in the consumer PC business, quoting HP's CEO: "The tablet effect is real. Consumers are changing how they use PCs."