Study finds increase in workforce turnover post-pandemic

A recent study found a “substantial and persistent” increase in health care workforce turnover following the pandemic, concluding the pandemic may have long-term implications for workers’ remaining in health care jobs. Published in the JAMA Health Forum, the study relied on U.S. census data. It found workers who left in early 2020 did not have other jobs lined up, but workers who quit in late 2021 joined other labor sectors. In 2021, the share of workers who left were disproportionately female, and fewer Black women entered the workforce. The authors call for policies to address health care workforce burnout and improve hiring pipelines, as well as efforts to improve working conditions for low-wage workers and support the recruitment of Black health workers. (JAMA Health Forum study, 1/26/24)