Key facts
- 70% of US Generation Z healthcare workers plan to explore new jobs within the next year.
- 65% of Gen Z healthcare workers hope to remain with one employer for five years or more.
- Job stability is important to nearly all Gen Z healthcare workers surveyed.
- 59% of all healthcare workers surveyed expect to seek a new role in the next year.
- Lack of career growth or training is the top reason workers leave, according to nearly half of employers surveyed.
- 79% of employers believe AI skills will be critical for employees to remain competitive.
A survey released on Wednesday revealed that a majority of younger U.S. healthcare workers, particularly those in Generation Z, are planning to seek new employment opportunities within the next year. This trend poses a significant retention challenge for healthcare employers already grappling with a projected shortage of nearly 500,000 workers by 2038, exacerbated by an aging workforce and increasing demand.
According to the survey conducted by Harris Poll, commissioned by Strategic Education and Workforce Edge, approximately 70% of Generation Z healthcare workers (born between 1997 and 2012) anticipate exploring new roles in the coming year. Despite this inclination to move, a substantial 65% expressed a desire to remain with a single employer for five years or more, underscoring the importance of job stability for this demographic.
Overall, 59% of healthcare workers across all age groups indicated they would be looking for new positions in the next year. The survey suggests that career advancement and training opportunities, rather than a simple desire for change, are key drivers of turnover among younger staff. Nearly half of employers surveyed identified a lack of career growth or training as the primary reason for employee departures, while only about a quarter of employees felt their employer invested in their future.
Employers are also re-evaluating the role of artificial intelligence in workforce planning. The survey found that 79% of employers believe AI skills will be crucial for employees to stay competitive, a decrease from 89% a year prior.