The Physical Therapy Profession Remains in H...( DETROIT Oct. 8 -- Michigan resid...),Health

DETROIT, Oct. 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Michigan residents looking for a change in career may wish to consider becoming a physical therapist due to the profession's high ranking in demand and job satisfaction, the Michigan Physical Therapy Association said today.

The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth identified physical therapists as having one of the top 50 jobs in the state. More than 5,000 physical therapists and more than 3,000 physical therapist assistants are employed in various settings throughout Michigan. Demand for physical therapists and physical therapist assistants is expected to grow by 27 percent through 2012 with an expected shortage of 2,300 physical therapists in the state by 2015.

"Physical therapists are experts in movement and function and we serve people of all ages in our communities," said Michigan Physical Therapy Association President Peter Loubert, PT, PhD. "Our profession can best be described as 'the science of healing and the art of caring' and what we truly enjoy is to see our patients take those all important steps, whether big or small, towards independence."

The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) reports a national unemployment rate for physical therapists of less than 1 percent. The US Department of Labor expects that physical therapist and physical therapist assistant employment will grow much faster than the national average over the next seven years as baby boomers continue to age.

The April 15, 2007 issue of Parade Magazine reported that physical therapists were found to have one of the six "Hottest Jobs for College Graduates." According to a worker satisfaction study by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago, physical therapists ranked second only to clergy in both job satisfaction and general happiness. In this study, more than 75 percent of the therapists surveyed reported being very satisfied with their job, compared to the average of 30-4
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