US to face healthcare worker shortage by 2026 – Mercer
A major shortage of healthcare workers is projected to happen in the United States (US) by 2026, according to the “2021 External Healthcare Labor Market Analysis” by asset management firm Mercer.
The study reported that out of the current 9.7 million healthcare workers in the US, over 6.5 million are expected to leave the workforce in the future, resulting in a shortage of 500,000 employees in all states.
In addition, despite the forecasted 4% growth in demand for primary care physicians, 21% of them are expected to retire over the next five years. This would create a significant shortage of nurses in half of US states, but surpluses in some areas of the South and Southwest.
A 10% increase in demand for mental health professionals, meanwhile, is predicted to happen by 2026.
Mercer Healthcare Industry Leader John Derse said that the US is rapidly losing its healthcare professionals due to burnout “following a nearly two-year face-off against Covid-19.”
Derse added that “this impact will be felt by all of us, regardless of where we live or our field of work.”
