The majority of healthcare employers — 54 percent — plan to hire permanent, full-time employees in the second half of 2014, seven percentage points higher than the national average, according to a survey from CareerBuilder and MiracleWorkers.com.
"As of June, healthcare employment has grown for 121 consecutive months, dating back to 2003…Hiring plans for the rest of 2014 suggest this streak will continue across occupations and facility types," said Jason Lovelace, president of CareerBuilder's healthcare division, in a news release.
In the first half of the year, 62 percent of healthcare employers added full-time permanent employees, the survey found, and 42 percent of employers hired temporary or contract workers in that time span.
Even though many healthcare employers plan to do more hiring, job vacancies are still a challenge in the industry. Forty percent of healthcare employers reported having open positions they could not find qualified candidates for. That's five points higher than the national average.
"Extended job vacancies remain a top challenge for many organizations, which will ultimately lead to important discussions around education, training and best recruiting practices," Mr. Lovelace said.
The data is based on survey responses from 267 healthcare hiring and human resources managers across facility sizes, gathered from May 13 to June 6.