Monaco employs around 2600 in health and welfare services, and that number is about to increase.

More workers are needed for the future Rainier III Centre for Clinical Gerontology, which is one of the many building projects underway in The Principality at the moment. The Centre is being built behind the Princess Grace Hospital, and although only the shell has been completed, plans are already being made for its 2011 opening. Dedicated to the care and treatment of age related medical problems, the 7 storey facility will employ 400 people, and 300 of these will be recruited over the next year.

The project started in 2003 with the aim of providing comprehensive care for the elderly. As the average age of western society's population increases, so does the need for geriatric services. In Monaco the average resident is aged around 45 and statistics indicate 400 alzheimers sufferers. The new Centre will have 210 beds dedicated to treating all age-related conditions and diseases, providing consultations, short-stay and long-term care. In addition, the hospital hopes to enable early detection of Alzheimers and dementia, which will in turn result in better care and management of such conditions.

Good news for the elderly, and also the regional economy.