A gap in professional skills is making it hard for the U.S. healthcare industry to fill jobs, a recent report published by job search website Indeed found.
For the study, economists from Indeed analyzed job postings and resumes published on its website from January 2014 to December 2018.
Six things to know:
1. There is now a larger skills gap in the healthcare sector than the overall economy. This is partially due to the lengthy training and licensing required to become a healthcare professional.
2. Some healthcare roles have more job seekers than job postings, including nursing assistants, caregivers, medical assistants, home health aides and dental assistants.
3. Employers are having a hard time filling positions that require lengthy training, including registered nurses, physical therapists, speech language pathologists and nurse practitioners.
4. The large mismatch between work experience listed on job seeker resumes and job postings from employers "suggests that healthcare faces a greater hiring challenge than do other sectors," the authors said.
5. Employers should invest more in training, and not cutting regulations designed to protect patients, the authors said.
6. "Healthcare is not merely a large and growing part of our economy. It plays a unique role in society, one that will only become more critical as the population ages," said the authors.