The skilled nursing segment dropped about 1,700 jobs during the month of November, despite the overall healthcare sector seeing significant growth, according to the latest employment figures released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
That figure is slightly higher than October’s when skilled nursing facilities shed 1,300 jobs, Modern Healthcare noted. It speculated that hiring within the skilled nursing sector is likely being impacted by the new Patient Driven Payment Model, which went into effect Oct. 1. There have been numerous reports of full-time therapist ranks being thinned out, for example.
Overall, long-term care operators are currently battling an ongoing workforce shortage. Providers have called on lawmakers to end lockouts for in-house CNA training programs, which could help recruit and retain workers.
Last week, LeadingAge also formally announced an initiative that aims to increase the number of foreign-born aging service workers to help ease caregiver shortages.
The healthcare sector as a whole added 45,200 jobs during the month of November, according to BLS data. The figure is significantly higher than October’s 11,900 jobs added.
