Healthcare employment declined at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 and remains below expected levels through November 2021, a new Kaiser Family Foundation chart collection shows.
The chart collection uses the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Current Employment Survey and Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey data to examine how the pandemic has affected healthcare employment.
Seven stats from the chart collection:
1. In April 2020, healthcare employment fell by 9.3 percent from the month before as providers canceled elective care and patients avoided services.
2. In May 2020, employment in the industry began to return. However, as of November 2021, healthcare employment was still 2.7 percent below its previous peak in February 2020.
3. By last November, employment in outpatient care centers and physician's offices had nearly recovered, with both components employing more people than they had in February 2020.
4. Hospitals and home healthcare organizations were within 2 percent of their respective pre-pandemic employment levels by November 2021.
5. While some healthcare settings experienced a rebound in employment, employment in nursing care and elder care facilities has continued to decline. As of November 2021, these facilities employed 15 percent and 11.1 percent fewer workers, respectively, compared to February 2020.
6. Outside of hospitals, unemployment for male healthcare workers was 2.9 percent in November 2021, down from 3.5 percent in February 2020.
7. Outside of hospitals, unemployment for female healthcare workers was 3 percent in November 2021, up from 2.3 percent in February 2020.
To view the full chart collection, click here.