"Boomerang" employees — those who return to a previous employer after spending time elsewhere — make up a relatively small share of the workforce, but are more prevalent in healthcare than most other industries, according to recent research from LinkedIn.
Over the last eight years, the average share of U.S. boomerang employees hovered around 1.7%, but it rose to 2% in 2023, according to data from LinkedIn's Economic Graph Team. On average, it takes employees 49.3 months — or about four years — to bounce back to their former employer.
Healthcare is the fourth most prevalent industry for boomerang employees, falling behind government administration; education; and oil, gas and mining, the researchers found. The industry's boomerang average sits above the national average at 2.2%. And employees bounce back to healthcare jobs slightly quicker, after 48.9 months, on average.
Hospitals specifically have reported an increase in boomerang nurses since May, citing higher engagement and lower onboarding costs.