Recent Jobs Reports Reinforce Strength of Healthcare and Construction Career Paths

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Recent jobs reports underscore a trend that has been building for years: even in a cooling labor market, healthcare and construction continue to stand out as reliable engines of job growth. STRIVE’s early vision to focus on these two resilient industries has us well-positioned to prepare and provide talent where it is needed most, even as other sectors are slowing or plateauing.

The New York Times highlights this trend clearly. Lydia DePillis’s March 7 article, “Health Care Has Become the Lifeblood of the Labor Market,” points out that healthcare has become one of the most consistent sources of new jobs nationwide. Month after month, healthcare accounts for a significant share of total employment gains, even as other industries face uncertainty. For workforce development organizations like STRIVE, which serve jobseekers who often face systemic barriers to employment, matching talent with the right occupations is critical to success.

Healthcare: A Sector with Staying Power

Healthcare’s strength is not limited to clinical roles. Nonclinical positions, from patient transporters to environmental services associates to medical administrative staff, are among the most accessible, stable and upwardly mobile jobs in the sector. These unsung heroes are essential to keeping hospitals and clinics functioning, yet they often receive far less public attention than the physicians and nurses they support.

STRIVE has doubled down on preparing jobseekers for these roles as they offer steady demand, living wages and clear advancement pathways. For individuals seeking a fresh start, including those impacted by the justice system, these jobs provide a foothold in an industry with an upward trajectory.

After his release from incarceration in 2024, Tyquan, of New York City, graduated from STRIVE Fresh Start, for justice-involved adults aged 25+. Tyquan has since gained employment at NY Presbyterian in Environmental Services and founded his own cleaning business – Around the Clock Cleaners.

“STRIVE helped me build marketable skills that led me to this job that provides me with stability, structure, benefits and a sense of pride in what I do,” Tyquan says. “Every day, I walk into that hospital knowing that I’m part of something bigger—and that’s a feeling I hadn’t had in a long time.”

Construction: A Sector Facing Contradictions and Opportunity

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The construction sector presents a more complicated picture. As Talmon Joseph Smith recently reported in The New York Times, construction is grappling with economic headwinds: rising materials costs, high interest rates and a slowdown in new projects. Job openings have fallen to their lowest levels since 2016.

And yet, buried within the challenges is an important insight: contractors consistently report difficulty finding workers with the right skills. Even in a cooling market, employers struggle to fill roles that require specific certifications, safety training or technical competencies. Meeting employer needs by training talent to fill specific job roles is what makes STRIVE’s model work.

"We've had an amazing experience working with STRIVE referrals. They fully vet and prepare candidates, " says Tatanisia Lumley, Director of Training & Operations, Building Skills NY.

By working closely with employer partners, STRIVE tailors its curriculum to ensure graduates are prepared for the realities of the job. That means OSHA certifications, hands‑on training, exposure to real worksites and the soft skills that employers repeatedly say matter just as much as technical ability.

As a testament to STRIVE’s impact in the construction sector, The New York State Office of Strategic Workforce Development in March awarded STRIVE $2 million to support the organization’s construction and advanced credentialing programs. STRIVE is among 13 New York State grantees receiving a total of $15M in funding for workforce projects.

Employer‑Aligned Training: The Right Strategy for a Tough Labor Market

Across both healthcare and construction, the message from employers is consistent: they need jobseekers who are trained for the roles they’re hiring for right now. Another career path we’ve identified as a strong on‑ramp to in‑demand jobs with good wages, benefits and upward mobility is logistics, which is driving our expansion into regions anchored by major supply‑chain hubs, including the Hartsfield‑Jackson Atlanta International Airport and the Aerotropolis region, as well as the Port of New Orleans.

In a labor market defined by contradictions, strong job growth in some sectors, stagnation in others, the organizations that succeed will be those that stay tightly connected to employer demand. By co‑designing training with employers, updating curriculum in real time and ensuring graduates earn industry‑recognized credentials, STRIVE helps close the gap between open jobs and overlooked talent.

About STRIVE

STRIVE is a national workforce development solution for people ready and motivated for a new start. We offer tuition-free skills and job-readiness training, one-on-one support and lifetime personal coaching. We create partnerships with employers that result in pathways to life-changing careers while helping employers close critical gaps in their workforce.