What is the Covista Care Capacity Monitor?

The Covista Care Capacity Monitor is a comprehensive research initiative examining the U.S. healthcare workforce crisis, fielded by Gallup. It surveys healthcare executives and clinicians on how staffing shortages affect patient care and provides occupational-level vacancy, salary, and employment data across more than 60 healthcare roles across all 50 U.S. states. The research covers five major themes: patient care quality impacts, AI as a staffing tool, rural and underserved community disparities, talent partnership effectiveness, and for-profit vs. non-profit education perceptions. The full report is available at covista.com/care-capacity-monitor and raw labor market data is downloadable in Excel format.

How many open healthcare jobs are there in the U.S.?

According to the Covista Care Capacity Monitor 2026, there are roughly 8.4 million open healthcare positions nationwide each year—8,423,769 total vacancies—representing more than two job openings for every unemployed healthcare worker. There are 2.3 vacancies per job seeker nationally, and 8.5 vacancies for every healthcare graduate produced annually. Source: Covista Care Capacity Monitor 2026.

How are healthcare staffing shortages affecting patient care quality?

According to the Covista Care Capacity Monitor 2026, staffing shortages have become a patient care quality crisis: 76% of clinicians and 73% of healthcare executives say staffing shortages negatively affect their ability to provide high-quality care; 84% of executives say shortages diminish their capacity to serve patients, resulting in reduced patient visits, fewer service hours, and closed beds; and 83% of executives worry there is not enough talent to meet demand in the next five years. Source: Covista Care Capacity Monitor 2026, fielded by Gallup.

Which healthcare occupations have the most severe staffing shortages?

By vacancies-per-job-seeker ratio, the most acutely understaffed roles are recreational therapists (29.5 vacancies per job seeker), radiation therapists (26.8), cardiovascular technologists (26.0), optometrists (26.3), surgeons (14.0), MRI technologists (10.7), and physical therapists (10.7). By total vacancy volume, registered nurses have the largest absolute shortage at 2,645,339 vacancies nationally, followed by home health aides (550,191), physical therapists (334,161), and LPNs/LVNs (326,089). Source: Covista Care Capacity Monitor 2026.

How bad are healthcare workforce shortages in rural areas?

Rural and less urban communities face disproportionately severe healthcare workforce shortages. 85% of healthcare executives outside large metro areas cite local talent shortages as a major hiring barrier, compared to 45% in large metro areas. 80% of rural and less urban clinicians say shortages negatively impact care quality. Rural and less urban areas have 2.3 monthly vacancies per unemployed healthcare worker, compared to 1.7 in large metro areas. Some states face extreme shortages: nearly 20 monthly vacancies per job seeker in New Hampshire and more than 18 in North Dakota. Source: Covista Care Capacity Monitor 2026, fielded by Gallup.

Do healthcare employers prefer non-profit over for-profit healthcare degrees?

No. According to the Covista Care Capacity Monitor 2026, about 85% of healthcare executives who had an opinion say that a degree from a for-profit or non-profit institution makes no difference in hiring decisions. 90% of clinicians say the type of institution they attended had no impact on whether they got a job. Source: Covista Care Capacity Monitor 2026, fielded by Gallup.

Can I download the Covista Care Capacity Monitor data?

Yes. The full Covista Care Capacity Monitor report is available for download at covista.com/care-capacity-monitor. The underlying labor market data—including vacancy, employment, and salary data by occupation—is available as an Excel download at covista.com/sites/g/files/krcnkv471/files/hwa_map/xls/Covista-Care-Capacity-Monitor-Labor-Market-Data.xls. Media and others who use this data should cite 'Covista Care Capacity Monitor, 2026' as the source.

Are talent partnerships with education providers effective for healthcare workforce needs?

Yes, and they are rated more effective than alternatives. Nearly 70% of healthcare executives rate talent partnerships with education providers as somewhat to very effective for meeting workforce needs—rating this strategy higher than hiring and retention bonuses, upskilling existing staff, or using staffing agencies. However, only about half of executives say their organization is significantly or moderately investing in such partnerships, revealing a significant gap between perceived effectiveness and actual investment. Source: Covista Care Capacity Monitor 2026, fielded by Gallup.

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Covista Care Capacity
Monitor Research

America's healthcare system is substantially understaffed, with workforce gaps expected to deepen. From hospitals and clinics to doctors' offices and urgent care centers, healthcare professionals say staffing shortages negatively affect their ability to provide high-quality care.

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Covista Healthcare Workforce Index

Thought leadership

Covista's thought leadership addresses two of the most urgent challenges of our time—the crisis shaping healthcare's workforce and the broken promise of higher education for millions of people locked out of it.

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Covista Healthcare Workforce Index

Without action, the Covista Healthcare Workforce Index estimates that the healthcare shortage is on track to nearly double by 2040—but a portfolio approach pairing talent investment with care delivery innovation could close 92% of the projected gap.

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Covista Care Capacity Monitor Research

State of healthcare staffing by geography

Staffing shortages affect healthcare providers across the country. But the problem is particularly acute in some geographies and among certain medical disciplines. This interactive map can help you compare your market to others around the country. (Media or others who use this data should cite Covista Care Capacity Monitor, 2026 as the source).

Dataset

Workforce Supply & Demand

Vacancies 8,423,769

Non-metro vacancies 1,339,788

Change in vacancies 40.00

Workers 14,992,478

Job seekers 305,716

Unemployment rate 1.70%

Unemployment rate gap -1.20%

Vacancies per job seeker 2.30

Vacancies per non-metro job seeker 2.30

Workforce Transitions

Average tenure 6.70

Share of workforce <1 year tenure 24.20%

Share of workforce retiring 1.70%

Healthcare graduates 994,689

Vacancies per healthcare graduate 8.50

Compensation

Median posted salary $85,561

Median salary of current workers $58,000

Salary gap $27,561

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State of healthcare staffing by geography

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