Hospitals in the Cincinnati region had more than 3,500 job openings at the end of 2011, a 26 percent increase from 2010, according to the newest annual vacancy report by Greater Cincinnati Health Council released Wednesday.

Total hospital jobs, including existing workers and job openings, increased in 2011 to more than 52,000 positions at 12 different hospitals and health systems of the council, an equivalent agency to Greater Dayton Area Hospital Association. The survey includes Butler County hospitals West Chester Hospital, Mercy Health-Fairfield Hospital and McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital.

At the end of 2010, there were about 50,200 hospital jobs and about 2,800 job openings, the council said.

Vacancy rates increased for the second consecutive year to 6.1 percent for full-time equivalents, a sign the health care job market is in the midst of a recovery following the recession, the council’s report said.