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Average Vacancy Durations in Healthcare
Remain at Peak Levels
Health eCareers, a DHI Group, Inc. service,
brings you the latest hiring trends and
industry job vacancy data.
The DHI-DFH Mean Vacancy Duration
measure found the Health Services
industry continues to have the longest
time to fill at 47.8 working days on
average in 2016, nearly 20 days above
the national average. In August, job
vacancy durations in healthcare were
47.1 working days, down from 47.8
working days in July and higher than 28
working days for the U.S. overall.
“Candidates with specialized skills have
a unique position in today’s job market,
creating competition among employers
who need their particular skillset,” said
Michael Durney, President and CEO
of DHI Group, Inc. “While sourcing is
an integral part of finding top talent,
hiring managers who swiftly respond
to applications will have an advantage
over competitors who choose to post
and pray.”
Meanwhile, the DHI-DFH Recruiting
Intensity index saw the intensity by
companies to fill healthcare jobs fell to
0.98 in August from 1.00 in July.
DHI-DFH Mean Vacancy
Duration Measure
National
Health Services
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Jan
2001
Jan
2003
Jan
2005
Jan
2007
Jan
2009
Jan
2011
Jan
2013
Jan
2015
Jan
2017
“The time-to-fill rates in healthcare
remain at peak levels, driving hiring
managers and recruiters to turn to
alternative staffing solutions, such
as covering positions on a shift-byshift basis, in order to handle growing
caseloads.”
— Bryan Bassett,
Managing Director, Health eCareers
This recruiting intensity includes actions by employers to fill a job, including payments on help
wanted ads, certain recruiting methods, applicant screening process, hiring standards and the
attractiveness of compensation packages
offered to prospective new hires.
“While the demand for healthcare
professionals continues to grow,
employers remain hard-pressed to fill
open positions in today’s market,” said
Bryan Bassett, Managing Director of
Health eCareers. “The time-to-fill rates
in healthcare remain at peak levels,
driving hiring managers and recruiters
to turn to alternative staffing solutions,
such as covering positions on a shift-byshift basis, in order to handle growing
caseloads.”
3.5% 32,700
Unemployment rate for
Healthcare professionals
in September
Healthcare jobs created
in September
325,000
Professionals in Healthcare voluntarily leaving positions in August
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics Establishment Survey
DHI-DFH Index of Recruiting Intensity per Vacancy
National
Health Services
1.5
1.2
0.9
0.6
Jan
2001
Jan
2002
Jan
2003
Jan
2004
Jan
2005
Jan
2006
Jan
2007
Jan
2008
Jan
2009
Jan
2010
Jan
2011
Jan
2012
Jan
2013
Jan
2014
Jan
2015
Jan
2016
Jan
2017
The DHI Hiring Indicators offer labor market insights from career provider DHI Group, Inc. and Dr. Steven Davis,
William H. Abbott Professor of International Business and Economics at the University Of Chicago Booth School Of
Business and a Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution.
The DHI-DFH vacancy duration measure reflects the vacancy concept in the Job Openings and Labor Turnover
Survey (JOLTS) in the United States. Specifically, a job opening gets “filled” according to JOLTS when a job offer for
the open position is accepted. So the vacancy duration statistics refer to the average length of time required to fill
open positions. Typically, there is also a lag between the fill date and the new hire’s start date on the new job.
The Indicators include a monthly report and data release to help employers, professionals and decision makers
deepen their understanding of current workforce trends.
The category of Health care and Social Assistance includes hospitals, nursing and residential care facilities and
ambulatory health care services.