PROVIDENCE – The clinical laboratories sector had a $191.3 million direct economic impact in Rhode Island in 2018, according to a new report from the American Clinical Laboratory Association.
The report, called the 2019 Economic Impact Study of Independent Clinical Laboratories, said that the sector paid 1,360 workers in Rhode Island combined wages of $114.7 million in 2018.
The majority of jobs in the industry the state, according to the report, were in independent labs (833), followed by hospital-based jobs (431).
Total economic impact, including supplier impacts and induced impacts, along with direct economic impact, was said to be $473.7 million in 2018.
The economic impact of the clinical laboratories sector suppliers in Rhode Island was estimated to be $87 million, supporting 497 jobs. The induced economic impact of the clinical laboratories sector was estimated at $195.4 million, supporting 1,284 jobs.
The report credited the clinical labs sector for supporting a total of 3,141 local jobs in a variety of fields, including agriculture, construction, manufacturing, transportation and communication, wholesaling, retailing, finance, insurance and real estate, travel and entertainment, and business and personal services, among others.
The sector was said to have created $24.4 million in state and local business tax collections.
Clinical laboratories, as defined by the study, are medical testing laboratories including those operated by independent firms, hospitals, physicians offices, in- and outpatient medical facilities, pharmacies, and various other medical sites that are defined as complex testing facilities under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments as maintained by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Nationally, the sector was said to have employed 295,235 people with a total economic impact of $106.9 billion.
