New data reveals extent of healthcare employment crisis: vacancies and application numbers tumble

The number of people applying for healthcare jobs has nose-dived over the last year, far outweighing the fall in vacancies noted over the same period, demonstrating the very real challenges hirers face attracting talent. That’s according to the latest insights from the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo).



The data, provided by Veritone Hire, revealed that the number of professionals applying for permanent healthcare jobs has fallen by 65% year-on-year, and by 49% for contract assignments.



APSCo’s report also shows a sharp fall in vacancy numbers year-on-year, albeit not at the same rate as the decrease in application numbers. Permanent roles dropped 45% between July 2023 and July 2024, and contract positions decreased by 23% over the same period. While this fall can be attributed, in part, to the NHS placing a greater focus on reducing agency use with its ‘bank first’ approach, coupled with a big rise in direct contracts, it paints a picture of a healthcare market struggling to find talent.



Ann Swain, Global CEO at APSCo, commented:



“This latest data indicates the extent of the struggles in the healthcare employment market, with both vacancy numbers, and applications falling over the past 12 months. Ongoing skills shortages continue to present major challenges for employers. However, most concerning of all is the significant drop in application numbers noted in recent months. The new Government’s pledge to place more focus than its predecessor on resourcing the sector will come as welcome news to employers struggling to source skills. However the devil will be in the detail so it remains to be seen how this pans out.”







Press contact

Vickie Collinge

vickie@bluesky-pr.com

01582 790 705



About APSCo

The Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) is the trade association for the professional recruitment market. APSCo Global comprises APSCo Asia, APSCo Australia, APSCo Deutschland and APSCo United Kingdom as well as APSCo OutSource, the trade body for the RPO and MSP sectors.

Find out more: www.apscouk.orgwww.apscouk.org