Taking a break from who is hiring and who was hired, we rounded up some reading on the state of the healthcare workforce. Like many things in our lives for the few years the pandemic has taken a toll on it, the healthcare workforce might be on the top of the list of disruption. With 18% of healthcare workers having left their jobs and another 12% being laid off, what are the solutions for healthcare as a whole? You can’t open a paper, magazine, or watch news and not hear about the crisis that has evolved. Here are some insights and reports.
In the News
AMA funnels more grassroots support for H.R. 7961, the “H-1Bs for Physicians and the Healthcare Workforce Act”
The grassroots effort to urge Congress to pass H.R. 7961, the “H-1Bs for Physicians and the Healthcare Workforce Act,” continues to progress following the distribution of two letters of support. On April 13, the American Medical Association (AMA) penned a letter (PDF) to the lead bill sponsors, specifically Reps. Mike Lawler (R-NY), Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D-GA), Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL), and Yvette Clarke (D-NY), in support of the legislation. In addition, the AMA joined more than 40 national medical specialty societies, patient advocacy, disease and health care advocacy organizations as cosigners of a separate coalition letter (PDF) sent to the bill sponsors on April 15 in support of H.R. 7961.
ASHP Signs Joint Statement on Workplace Violence in Healthcare
This April, in recognition of Workplace Violence Prevention month, ASHP joins other organizations to affirm that workplace violence in healthcare is not inevitable, it is preventable. Healthcare workers are the foundation of a safe and effective healthcare system, but every day they face an unacceptable reality: the risk of violence on the job. Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has consistently shown that health care and social service workers experience workplace violence at higher rates than workers in any other sector, a troubling trend that only continues to persist and intensify.
How AI-Enabled Compliance Platforms Are Reducing Risk During Healthcare Workforce Growth
Healthcare workforce growth accounted for 95% of the 130,000 jobs added in the U.S. in January 2026, continuing the industry’s dominance in employment growth reports. This level of growth is causing additional risk that healthcare organizations must mitigate. AI-enabled compliance platforms are the tool of choice to support compliance consistency during rapid hiring cycles.
Healthcare Priorities in Governors’ 2026 State of the State Addresses
Across the country, Governors from coast to coast made healthcare a centerpiece of their 2026 legislative addresses, identifying common challenges around rural access, workforce shortages, rising costs, and behavioral health, and charting a range of ambitious courses to address them.
To Read
HRSA
Workforce Projections – View National Center for Health Workforce Analysis projections of the future supply of and demand for healthcare occupations. Projections were generated using some data from the period of the pandemic. See the “About this Dashboard” for more details about the projections.
PSQH
Centegix: Healthcare Workers Say Employers Need to Step Up Protective Measures – By Jay Kumar – A new research report from safety solution provider Centegix finds that most healthcare workers are concerned about their safety on the job and expect employers to improve security measures. For its 2026 Healthcare Workforce Safety Report, Centegix surveyed 639 healthcare workers who interact with patients, family members, or visitors at least once per week in a healthcare facility. The survey was conducted in January 2026.
Scripps News
Why the health care industry gets a hiring boom while the rest of the labor market cools – By Stephanie Liebergen – The U.S. labor market is showing signs of strain, but the health care industry is experiencing a hiring boom and carrying much of the load. Recent data shows that while hiring across the board is cooling, health care workers are still very much in demand, and more Americans are answering the call to work in the field. The U.S. economy added 76,000 jobs in health care in March, accounting for 43 percent of all new jobs. Last year, the sector added nearly 700,000 jobs, helping balance an otherwise weak hiring market.
HFMA
H-1B visa fee strains the healthcare workforce and hospital finances – By Nick Hut – In the year after implementation of a new White House policy curtailing the pipeline for legal immigration, the healthcare industry is grappling with the implications. In September, the Trump administration announced that the H-1B visa program for skilled workers seeking to enter the U.S. would carry a $100,000 fee per application. Healthcare, along with higher education, stands to be particularly affected as it seeks to fill gaps in a specialized workforce. Before the announcement, employers generally paid a few thousand dollars per application.
AAPPR
Building the Future Workforce: What’s Next – As the healthcare workforce landscape continues to evolve in 2026, in-house physician and provider recruitment professionals are carrying a larger load than ever. The demand for care remains high, yet the path to hiring and retaining clinicians has grown more complex. Last year brought new pressures from policy shifts, locums competition and compensation expectations, and it demanded more creativity and stamina from already stretched teams.
LTC News
How Immigration Policy Is Deepening the Healthcare Worker Shortage – By Beata Dejlitko McCann – The Trump administration’s immigration crackdown is hitting at a bad time for American healthcare. Hospitals, nursing homes, home care agencies, and long-term care providers were already struggling to hire enough physicians, nurses, aides, and support staff. Now, a tougher enforcement climate and a growing list of immigration restrictions are making that problem worse.
LWV
A Disappearing Healthcare Workforce – The U.S Healthcare workforce is the largest employer in the United States. In California, it supplies 15% of the population with work. By 2036, physicians are expected to shrink by 86,000. By 2030, shortages of educated workers are expected to increase by 1.3 million people and 4 million nurses are expected to quit. Access to healthcare depends on having a stable workforce. Shortages of any degree impact hospitals, health education, and public health systems.
Randstad
AI and the healthcare workforce: what HR needs to know. – By Jade Mortlock – The healthcare sector is undergoing one of the biggest workforce transitions in decades. Similar to other industries, tasks that used to define early career roles are now supported by AI in healthcare, which has become a routine part of both clinical and administrative work.