The Growing Profession

I found that occupational therapists held about 104,500 jobs in 2008 and the largest number of OT jobs was in ambulatory healthcare services, which employed about 29% of occupational therapists. Their employment levels are expected to increase by 26 percent between 2008 and 2018, much faster than the average for all occupations (College of Occupational Therapy). The increasing elderly population will drive growth in the demand for occupational therapy services. The demand for occupational therapists should continue to rise as a result of the increasing number of individuals with disabilities or limited function who require therapy services, which shows that the elderly are (and will be) the most common age group to receive occupational services from employed professionals. As a result of this transition we should expect a growth of the Occupational Therapy field in the years to come.