Dive Brief:
- A recent online survey, the Randstad Healthcare Employee Confidence Index conducted by Randstad Healthcare, involved 243 healthcare employees and 66% responded they are confident they would be able to find a new job.
- However, only 32% responded they are likely to look for a new job in the next year. This indicates employees in the healthcare field are particularly confident in regards to the overall economy as well as their personal employment prospects.
- Other key survey findings include: 64% of employees are confident in the future of their current employer, with only 10% saying the opposite; 29% believe the economy is improving, with 36% believing more jobs are available.
Dive Insight:
Seventy-six percent of respondents believe it is unlikely they will lose their job over the next year. Abigail Tremble, president of Randstad Healthcare said in a news release, "The fact that the healthcare workers indicated the highest confidence levels we've ever recorded is a sign the job market for these professionals is providing more opportunities, and the sector is experiencing the rapid growth many economists expected."
The Bureau of Labor Statistics' September 2015 Employment Situation Summary indicated healthcare led in job creation, adding 34,000 new jobs last month and close to 38,000 jobs monthly over the past year. Hospitals gained about half the new jobs, with ambulatory care adding 13,000 jobs."[A]s baby boomers age, the Labor Department projects that by 2022 healthcare and social assistance will absorb nearly 20% of consumer spending, double the share of manufactured goods. As a result, the profession is expected to employ more than 21 million workers, 5 million more than we have today," Tremble commented in a news release.
These factors create more pressure on healthcare employers to maintain adequate staffing levels, and many are partnering with flexible staffing firms to achieve this. A 2014 study in the Journal of Nursing Care found the use of supplemental staff to alleviate increased patient acuity, patient census fluctuations or temporary leave of permanent RNs can improve a hospitals' bottom line and increase flexibility.