Summary of the Bureau of Labor Statistics July Healthcare Numbers
Healthcare is continuing to bounce back from the pandemic, says the Bureau of Labor Statistics July report. The BLS healthcare report reflects major gains overall, with the industry adding 36,800 new jobs to payrolls around the nation. This is the second month of solid employment growth for healthcare. Across industries, July 2021 was the best month for payroll growth since August 2020. Healthcare is now 502,000 jobs away from pre-pandemic employment levels.
Healthcare Employment at a Glance
Almost all healthcare occupations grew in July, with a notable exception in skilled nursing and residential care. Ambulatory care led the gains, boasting an addition of 31,900 new jobs. Hospitals also saw an increase in filled positions (18,300), along with physicians’ offices (10,100), dentist offices (2,700), and other healthcare office workers (17,100). Home health care employment increased slightly (1,200), as did jobs in diagnostic laboratories (100) and other ambulatory care services (800).
Skilled nursing and residential care facilities experienced an employment loss of 13,400 positions. Outpatient care was the only other occupation that decreased, with a very minor reduction of about 10 jobs.
What Healthcare Organizations Should Prioritize in the Coming Months
The Bureau of Labor Statistics July report shows that employment is on the rise overall, but the nursing shortage continues in full force. As Baby Boomers age, the rate of retirement is rocketing up by millions. That’s not even covering the 3.9 million workers who quit their jobs in June (April 2021 still holds the 20-year record for most quits, breaking 4 million). The number of Americans leaving the workforce voluntarily is at a high, and healthcare will need to grapple with this issue rapidly to provide care for the 76.4 million aging Baby Boomers.
In short, healthcare candidates are still in huge demand. Here are three ways to take action.
Diversify Your Applicant Sources
To secure the talent the industry needs, recruiters must reach candidates wherever they are—which may mean going beyond the usual job boards. Promote openings on social media to attract candidates who might not be searching for healthcare positions explicitly. Explore recruiting on Facebook, Twitter, and other social sites. Platforms like TikTok, where the majority of users are under 30, can be especially effective for attracting candidates who are entering the workforce for the first time.
Perfect Your Collaborative Hiring
The more efficiently you hire, the more you increase your chances of onboarding the strongest candidates. Take a look at who’s involved with hiring and how well the team works together. Clarify any confusion about the chain of command, and make sure everyone is comfortable with the system you use to move candidates through the process. A centralized hiring platform like Apploi will allow multiple users to access the same recruiting dashboard, share notes, and track email and text correspondeneces.
Reach Out to Your Employees
While most healthcare occupations are on the mend, skilled nursing and residential care facilities are struggling. CNA roles offer relatively accessible entry points for new healthcare workers, but these roles are also often in competition with other industries, making them harder to recruit and retain. Approach retention proactively by conducting “stay” meetings. In these one-on-one sessions, ask about your employees’ happiness with their work and their professional goals. Help them develop clear career paths, and address any concerns that might affect their job satisfaction. You can begin this process as early as during onboarding.
Conclusion
Apploi brings the healthcare HR process online, from recruitment to staff documentation management. Interested in learning more? Contact us today for a free demo of our end-to-end solution.
