The global pandemic has changed everything: the way we work, socialize, exercise and more. What changes are here to stay, specifically in the healthcare workforce?
It may come as no surprise that growth in healthcare-related positions are set to outpace all other occupations, according to new research reported in The New York Times. The Labor Department predicts in the next 10 years, employment in healthcare in the United States will grow 15% and add about 2.4 million jobs.
This high demand in healthcare employees not only comes from the pandemic, but also other factors including care for aging baby boomers, increased patients with chronic conditions and longer life span expectancy.
What other trends are here to stay because of the pandemic?
As the world continues to embrace new ways of working, the gig and freelance economy across industries is here to stay. Now more than ever, job flexibility is appealing and necessary. Gig and freelance work allow professionals to work (for the most part) where they want, when they want and how they want. And this doesn’t just apply to those working in an office setting, either.
In healthcare, gig workers—or locum tenens—typically work in different states to provide temporary employment. The need for locum tenens increased significantly during the pandemic as workforce demand increased exponentially.
In order to meet this demand and continue to remain competitive, hospitals and healthcare systems must adapt. As the gig and freelance economy becomes an integral part of the American and healthcare workforce, and the demand for healthcare-related positions are only set to skyrocket by 2029, healthcare systems who adopt these trends early on will see the most success.
