Healthcare Staffing Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Service (Travel Nurse Staffing, Per Diem Nurse Staffing, Locum Tenens Staffing, Allied Healthcare Staffing), By End-User (Hospitals, Clinics, Ambulatory Facilities, Others) and By Region(North America, Europe, APAC, Middle East and Africa, LATAM) Forecasts, 2024-2032

Healthcare Staffing Market Size and Trends

The global healthcare staffing market size was valued at USD 38.25 billion in 2023. It is projected to reach from USD 40.23 billion in 2024 to USD 60.36 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 5.2% during the forecast period (2024–2032). The global healthcare staffing market is primarily boosted by the surging prevalence of chronic diseases owing to lifestyle changes as well as the rise in the geriatric population owing to an increase in life expectancy. This population demographic requires proper care and treatment, which is anticipated to increase the demand for healthcare staff and, in turn, boost market growth.

Healthcare staffing encompasses the activities of recruiting, hiring, and managing healthcare personnel to fulfill the staffing requirements of healthcare establishments, including hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and other healthcare institutions. Healthcare staffing aims to guarantee that these institutions possess a sufficient and competent crew to deliver high-quality patient care. It also aids in mitigating the scarcity of proficient healthcare professionals and diminishing the expenses and burden on healthcare institutions.

Healthcare staffing can be overseen by in-house human resources departments inside healthcare institutions or delegated to external healthcare staffing services. Staffing firms are frequently utilized for temporary or locum tenens roles, as they have expertise in connecting healthcare professionals with facilities that require their services.

Highlights

• Travel nurse staffing dominates the service segment
• Hospital dominates the end-user segment
• North America is the highest shareholder in the global market

Healthcare Staffing Market Growth Factors

Growing geriatric population and prevalence of chronic diseases

The rising and aging population, the prevalence of chronic diseases, and the growth of healthcare coverage are significant factors driving the healthcare staffing market. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that the global population aged 60 years and above was 1 billion in 2020, which is expected to rise to 1.4 billion by 2030. The increasing number of elderly individuals necessitates a greater demand for healthcare services and assistance, requiring additional healthcare professionals.

Furthermore, the rising prevalence of chronic diseases, like diabetes, cardiovascular illnesses, cancer, and others, significantly amplifies the need for healthcare services and specialists. As per the World Health Organization (WHO), chronic diseases cause the death of 41 million individuals annually, accounting for 74% of all global deaths. Moreover, the proliferation of healthcare coverage, particularly in emerging nations, further bolsters the healthcare staffing industry by granting larger populations access to cost-effective and high-quality healthcare services.

Healthcare Staffing Market Restraining Factors

Lack of standardization and regulation of the temporary staffing industry 

An important limitation of the healthcare staffing market is the absence of standardization and regulation in the temporary employment sector. The temporary employment business encounters various obstacles, including legal, ethical, and quality concerns, stemming from the absence of standardized and comparable norms and regulations across diverse countries and locations.

There are differences in the licensing, credentialing, and certification standards for healthcare professionals in various jurisdictions. These differences can provide obstacles and potential dangers for temporary staffing services. Moreover, there are additional concerns regarding the safety and quality of patient care and the entitlements and obligations of temporary healthcare personnel owing to the absence of distinct and enforced standards and rules. These challenges could impede the expansion and standing of the healthcare staffing market.

Healthcare Staffing Market Opportunities

Strategic initiatives by key players

The primary stakeholders in the market prioritize strategic initiatives such as joint ventures, expansions, and acquisitions, among other measures, to succeed in the fiercely competitive market. For instance, in August 2023, ShiftMed, a platform that connects healthcare professionals (HCPs) with job opportunities, announced a partnership with Huron, a global professional services organization. The collaboration aims to assist health systems in deploying ShiftMed's on-demand staffing solutions. Moreover, the partnership between Huron and ShiftMed will assist healthcare companies in effectively addressing the difficulties they encounter in recruiting and overseeing highly competent healthcare professionals.

Additionally, in 2023, Epic Staffing Group, a company owned by The Pritzker Organization, L.L.C., announced the acquisition of SBG Healthcare. SBG Healthcare is a distinguished physician staffing firm that places advanced practitioners and physicians in the Operating Room and Surgical Suite. The firm is led by Drew Seder, the co-founder and President. This acquisition aimed to strengthen its expansion in the healthcare and life sciences staffing industry. Therefore, these measures are anticipated to generate opportunities for market expansion.

Healthcare Staffing Market Regional Analysis

Based on region, the global healthcare staffing market is bifurcated into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa.

North america dominates the global market

North America is the most significant global healthcare staffing market shareholder and is expected to expand substantially during the forecast period. The North American healthcare staffing market is projected to be the largest and most developed market, owing to the substantial demand and supply of healthcare services and workers, the existence of an extensive, diverse healthcare sector, and the accessibility of sophisticated and creative healthcare staffing solutions. The market is influenced by the increasing number of elderly individuals, the high occurrence of chronic illnesses, and the broadening of healthcare insurance. Moreover, Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA) have estimated that in 2022, 103 companies will produce revenue of USD 50 million or more in the temporary staffing sector of the US healthcare industry. Collectively, these companies produced a total revenue of USD 61.7 billion, or 90% of the market share. This represents a substantial increase of 57% compared to the USD 39.2 billion reported in the previous year's analysis. This predicted expansion is expected to propel the healthcare staffing market in the North American region.

Furthermore, the regional market benefits from the participation of prominent companies and service providers, such as AMN Healthcare, CHG Healthcare, Cross Country Healthcare, and others, offering diverse healthcare staffing services and solutions. Market participants are offering innovative solutions to address the current shortage in the healthcare staffing industry. For instance, in October 2023, Ricoh USA, Inc. introduced RICOH Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) Enablement. RICOH RPM Enablement aims to address the shortage of healthcare staff and fill important roles in remote patient monitoring (RPM) management. It integrates with existing virtual care programs to facilitate the implementation of RPM devices, manage inventory, track logistics, and handle device returns. The ultimate goal is to enhance patient experiences through these efforts. These factors are expected to promote market expansion in the region.

The Asia-Pacific healthcare staffing market is experiencing substantial growth due to the rapid development and expansion of the healthcare industry, the rising awareness and utilization of healthcare staffing services, and a sizable and unexplored market opportunity. Moreover, the market participants are trying to increase their regional presence. For instance, in September 2023, Atlantic Group, a prominent staffing and recruitment agency in India, relaunched its Healthcare Staffing Practice as TAG MedStaffing and unveiled its new website. This is expected to enhance market growth.

Furthermore, the regional governments of several countries are implementing new initiatives to augment the recruitment of healthcare professionals. For instance, in July 2022, the New South Wales Government in Australia implemented the Rural Health Workforce Incentive Scheme. This initiative has successfully hired 1,628 healthcare professionals and retained 9,447 individuals in challenging and crucial positions in rural and regional areas of New South Wales. These numbers are accurate as of January 2024. The recruitment and retention of rural health workers have increased by 20% in the past six months following the NSW Government's decision to double the support provided by the Rural Health Workforce Incentive Scheme, raising it from USD 10,000 to USD 20,000. Following the doubling of incentives, the initiative has successfully enlisted 315 healthcare professionals and maintained an additional 1,932 healthcare professionals. These government initiatives are expected to stimulate the growth of the regional healthcare staffing market.

Healthcare Staffing Market Segmentation Analysis

The global healthcare staffing market is segmented by service and end-user.

By service

The global healthcare staffing market is divided into travel nurse staffing, per diem nurse staffing, locum tenens staffing, and allied healthcare staffing. 

The travel nurse staffing segment dominates the global market. Travel nurse staffing involves recruiting and deploying temporary nurses to healthcare facilities to solve staffing shortages or variations in patient demand. Travel nurses are healthcare professionals, like registered nurses (RNs), who provide temporary services for 13-26 weeks. They work at various healthcare facilities in different geographical regions, including hospitals and clinics. The main objective of travel nurse staffing is to supply healthcare facilities with proficient and seasoned nursing experts to address temporary shortages in their staffing requirements. These gaps may occur as a result of causes such as fluctuations in patient numbers based on seasons, medical personnel taking leave, staff training, or unforeseen increases in patient severity.

Moreover, the travel nurse staffing sector is projected to be the most substantial and rapidly expanding section. This is primarily due to the significant need for nurses in diverse healthcare environments, the scarcity of nurses in specific places, and the appeal of travel nursing as a career choice.

By end-users

the global healthcare staffing market is divided into hospitals, clinics, ambulatory facilities, and others. 

The hospital segment owns the highest market share. Hospitals are expected to be the largest and dominant segment, as they are the primary and major consumers of healthcare staffing services due to their large size, high volume, and diverse needs. Moreover, the growing number of hospitals across developing countries increases the demand for healthcare staff. For instance, as per the American Hospital Association Annual Survey 2021, in the United States, there were 1,805 rural community hospitals, 3,336 urban community hospitals, and 3,453 community hospitals in a system in 2019. Moreover, total admissions in all United States hospitals were around 36,241,815 in 2019. This is expected to boost the segment growth.

Recent Developments

• November 2023- GHR Healthcare (GHR), a provider of staffing and solutions for the healthcare industry in the United States, launched a new website. This new website replaces their previous eight websites, consolidating their online presence into a single platform.
• January 2024- Aya Healthcare, a talent software and healthcare staffing company based in the US, made its entry into the UK market by acquiring ID Medical. The financial details of the deal have not been released.