LoginMedical device manufacturers are growing to better respond to the challenges and opportunities presented by new technologies and rising rates of illness. A recent report from EP Vantage showed that 12 of the 15 largest medical technology companies in the U.S. added employees in 2013.
The average rate of workforce growth in the organizations surveyed was 6 percent. However, some companies greatly exceeded that number as they grew. Baxano Surgical increased its staffing by 57 percent, the highest rate of growth in the industry. In terms of sheer numbers, Baxter added the most employees, largely due to its acquisition of Gambro. The company gained 10,000 workers over the year, bringing its total payroll to around 71,000, according to OrthoSpineNews.
Johnson & Johnson was the largest overall employer in the field, the news source reported. In 2013, the company employed 128,100 workers.
Over the past five years, new hires have vastly outweighed lost positions. The 10 companies that hired the most in that period added around 80,000 positions, while the 10 that fired the most only let around 10,000 employees go. In the last year, the top 10 hirers gained around 25,000 workers.