Before the pandemic, home health employers often were scrambling to find workers. However, in recent months, turnover and hiring are down; and there isn’t as much of an urgency to attract job seekers.
Among recent data about the home health care workforce:
- The turnover rate for home care aides and licensed practical nurses in 2019 was under 30%. This compares to over 60% for similar positions in the healthcare industry as a whole.
- As of August 28, job postings for home care and home health jobs were down 14%-20% from last year on major job sites.
There could be several reasons for these numbers. For instance, job listings might be down due to financial challenges limiting agencies’ ability to hire. At the same time, many home-based care employers have expressed optimism about hiring plans, acknowledging that strong staffing levels are crucial during this ongoing public health emergency.