The healthcare sector has undergone significant pressure over the past few years dealing with the pandemic. There was increased demand for care workers and significant stress placed on practitioners in the healthcare field.
Below, our healthcare recruiters will provide you with an overview of the current state of hiring and the job market in the healthcare field. We’ll then provide some insights from Statistics Canada that help to explain why there is such a demand in healthcare for qualified workers.
There is a record-high number of job vacancies in the healthcare field
There is a strong need for more healthcare workers. As you’ve likely seen reported in the news or experienced yourself, there have been temporary closures of emergency rooms in hospitals and the reduction of other health services because of staff shortages.
Based on data from Statistics Canada, there were 152,000 job vacancies in the healthcare and social assistance sector (as of August 2022). The job vacancy rate has consistently been on the rise since October 2020. It was at 4.4% then and as of August 2022, it has peaked at 6.4%. There is ample opportunity for people to get into the healthcare field.
The pandemic has had a significant impact on healthcare workers
The pandemic has played a role in the current state of the job market in healthcare currently. There were many stories of nurses and other healthcare workers quitting and exiting the industry. Stats Canada provides some insights as to how workers felt during this time:
- 83.7% of physicians, 92% of nurses, 83% of PSWs, and 83% of other workers felt more stressed.
- 54.2% of physicians, 62.7% of nurses, 47.7% of PSWs, and 51.5% of other workers had to take on additional tasks.
- 65.2% of physicians, 83.7% of nurses, 73.3% of PSWs, and 67.2% of other workers had an increased workload.
- 46% of physicians, 63% of nurses, 47.5% of PSWs, and 40.6% of other workers had to work overtime or additional hours.
Many healthcare workers intend to leave their job or change jobs in the next 3 years
A large portion of healthcare workers are planning on or considering changing jobs in the next 3 years. According to Statistics Canada,
- Of all healthcare workers: 39.6% of those with less than 5 years’ experience plan to leave or change jobs. 25.9% of those with 5 to 9 years plan to move, and 34.6% of those with 10 or more years’ experience plan to make a change.
- Physicians: 47.1% of those with less than 5 years’ experience plan to leave or change jobs. 25.9% of those with 5 to 9 years plan to move, and 27% of those with 10 or more years’ experience plan to make a change.
- Nurses: 43.1% of those with less than 5 years’ experience plan to leave or change jobs. 25.4% of those with 5 to 9 years plan to move, and 31.5% of those with 10 or more years’ experience plan to make a change.
- Personal support workers or care aides: 37.8% of those with less than 5 years’ experience plan to leave or change jobs. 33.6% of those with 5 to 9 years plan to move, and 28.6% of those with 10 or more years’ experience plan to make a change.
Reasons why healthcare workers are considering leaving or changing jobs
There are three main reasons why healthcare workers are considering making a change – stress, concerns about well-being, and job satisfaction.
According to Statistics Canada
- 59.5% of men and 63.9% of women are considering leaving because of stress or burnout.
- 49.3% of men and 53.7% of women are considering leaving because of concerns about mental health and well-being.
- 45% of men and 49.4% of women are considering leaving because of a lack of job satisfaction.
Based on this data, our healthcare recruiters foresee a lot of movement in the industry in the coming year. There is ample opportunity for new graduates, immigrants, and others looking to get into the healthcare industry.
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