Throughout COVID-19, healthcare staffing firms have risen to meet the increased demand for nurses and healthcare workers in the United States. However, according to a recent Staffing Industry Review, COVID-19 has also brought forth a surge in bill rates for staffing firms due to increased competition to attract staff and fill vital roles. Also, nurses and healthcare workers are becoming increasingly exhausted as COVID-19 has provided both physical and emotional challenges.

The October Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) 2020 Hiring Situation reported job growth of 638,000 new jobs last month, with the unemployment rate dropping down one percentage point to 6.9%. In October, employment in healthcare rose by 58,300 new jobs, with the largest gains occurring in ambulatory care settings (50,700) and hospitals (+16,200) These increases were partially offset by a decline of 9,000 in nursing and residential care facilities.

We are thankful for our many vendor staffing partners for their hard work and dedication that has assisted HealthTrust Workforce Solutions in efficiently adapting and responding to COVID-19. Due to the increased efforts from our vendor staffing partners, our urgent need for clinical labor has repeatedly been met. 

We are pleased to announce that HealthTrust Workforce Solutions has been included in SIA's Largest US Staffing Firms 2020 List. Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA), the global advisor in staffing and workforce solutions, has released its latest 2020 report. Ranked by revenue, the report covers firms that generated at least $100 million in US staffing revenue in 2019.

According to a recent Staffing Industry Analysts article and as we have personally experienced in our industry, COVID-19 has driven disparity in healthcare staffing demand. Read an excerpt from the article below to learn more about how COVID-19 was both the most noted driver of staffing demand and the most noted constraint on demand, according to the survey.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) August 2020 Hiring Situation, nearly 1.4 million jobs were added to payrolls last month as the economic recovery continues on. The unemployment rate also continued to decline, dipping to 8.4% in August from 10.2% in July. These improvements in the labor market reflect the continued resumption of economic activity that had been curtailed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and efforts to contain it.

HCA Healthcare East Florida Division (NYSE:HCA), today announced that it has received a donation of 2,800 face shields from Bombardier Aviation, a global leader in the design, manufacturing and entry into service of cutting edge business jets. The shields were delivered to Fort Lauderdale International Airport aboard a Global 7500 aircraft and were transported to HCA’s Supply Chain distribution center. The materials will then be distributed to HCA’s 15-affiliated facilities across East Florida.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) June 2020 Hiring Situation reported that payrolls grew by 4.8 million last month.  Higher than the 3 million jobs economists have anticipated would be gained.  Unemployment dropped from 13.3% to 11.1% while job growth numbers were the largest since the government started keeping records in 1939 amid what economists believe to be the deepest and shortest recession in American history.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) May 2020 Hiring Situation surprised economists, revealing that 2.5 million jobs were regained last month, significantly higher than the 7.5 million job loss anticipated. The gains come as the economy has begun to open up across the country and the initial economic shock of COVID-19 appears to have stabilized. That said, many economists still believe the road to economic recovery will be long. The unemployment rate edged down to 13.3%. 

Within the healthcare sector, 312,400 jobs returned, with gains seen primarily in offices of physicians, healthcare practitioners and dentists. Jobs within ambulatory care settings grew by 375,700, however hospital payrolls fell by 26,700.