Healthcare Hiring Showing Signs of Recovery Following Turbulent Period

Trials and Tribulations Faced by Healthcare Early in the Pandemic

As written previously within this blog, the world of hiring has been sent into a tumultuous state since the onset of the COVID pandemic. While the valiant efforts of healthcare workers have become increasingly recognized by society following their response to the onset of the global pandemic, some healthcare workers have found themselves out of work as a result of financial challenges brought by the pandemic.

According to Health System Tracker, the year-over-year change in Healthcare employment in April 2020 had dropped to -7.8%, whereas the YOY change in employment all other fields plummeted to -14% (as seen in the chart below). While the Healthcare field has fared better than other fields during the pandemic, the brunt of decreased employment had been faced by medical professionals in fields that involve elective or non-essential services/procedures.

The above chart highlights job losses within the Healthcare sector between the months of February and April of 2020. Dental offices faced the greatest fallout by far, with a -56% decline. According to U.S. News, dental offices on the East and West coasts were hit the hardest. In California, the number of dental office employees fell by 60% between February through April — even greater than the state’s job losses within the restaurant industry.

Thankfully, the losses within the dental care industry nearly returned as soon as they came — according to Health System Tracker, employment increased by 56% between the months of April through May. Offices of other health practitioners (including chiropractors, mental health practitioners and physical therapists, among other professions) fared second worst with a 24% decrease in employment between February-April of 2020, however, the sector only saw a 10% rebound in employment during April through May.

Healthcare Hiring Growth & Resurgence in a Vaccinated Era

As COVID cases continue to drop within the United States following ongoing vaccination efforts, the hiring demand for healthcare professionals is expected to return to a rate similar to, if not greater than, prior to the pandemic. A key contributing factor to this is the large population of Baby Boomers within the United States who are expected to require medical services as they become older.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Healthcare career with the highest projected growth between 2018–2028 is Home Health / Personal Care Aides at a 36% estimated growth rate, followed by a tie between Occupational Therapy Assistants and Physician Assistants at 31%, respectively.

According to the American Nurses Association (ANA), registered nurse jobs will be more available than any other profession in the United States in 2022, reflecting the strong demand for medical professionals. In spite of this, nursing programs are notoriously competitive to enter - often requiring solid grades for entry. Moreover, bottlenecks currently exist within the U.S.’ college-to-job pipeline due to the sheer number of graduates, though some frazzled nurses from COVID-related work have left the profession, freeing up space for newcomers. Additionally, many starting nurses tend to seek work at the largest urban-centered hospitals that generally pay more than ones in less densely populated areas - however these smaller hospitals and medical centers are often in the greatest need of medical assistance.

While careers within the healthcare sector have a reputation for requiring lengthy amounts of higher education, there are a number of quickly growing job roles in healthcare that often do not require more than vocational training and/or community college.

If by chance you are seeking work within the healthcare sector, New York Technology Partners is a hiring agency with recruiters who can talk with you to help you locate your next job. Give our recruiters a call at (585) 300–4720 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday.