Healthcare Fuels US Job Growth as Hospital Hiring Cools

Healthcare added 81,900 of the 130,000 jobs created nationwide in January, but hospital hiring has slowed from pandemic peak.

Published on Feb. 18, 2026

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Healthcare is driving U.S. job growth, adding 81,900 of the 130,000 jobs created nationwide in January. However, the pace of hiring within hospitals and health systems has cooled from its post-pandemic peak, with hospitals adding an average of 11,300 jobs per month in 2025 compared to 15,500 in 2023. Factors like reimbursement pressures, AI adoption, and immigration policy uncertainty are contributing to the slowdown in hospital hiring, even as healthcare overall remains a key driver of national employment.

Why it matters

The mixed signals in healthcare hiring reflect the complex forces shaping the industry's workforce, including demographic demand, margin pressure, technology adoption, and policy changes. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for healthcare organizations as they navigate hiring and workforce planning in an evolving landscape.

The details

While healthcare is fueling overall U.S. job growth, the pace of hiring within hospitals and health systems has slowed from its post-pandemic peak. Hospitals added an average of 15,500 jobs per month in 2023, but that pace dropped to 12,400 per month in 2024 and 11,300 per month in 2025. Factors like reimbursement pressures, funding changes, and efforts to improve operational efficiency have led some health systems to announce job cuts. At the same time, demographic demand and regional population growth are driving expansion in some markets, with organizations like Beaufort Memorial Hospital in South Carolina adding new facilities to meet rising patient needs.

  • In 2023, hospitals added an average of 15,500 jobs per month.
  • In 2024, the pace of hospital hiring slowed to 12,400 jobs per month.
  • In 2025, the average monthly hospital job growth further declined to 11,300.

The players

WVU Medicine

A 25-hospital academic health system in West Virginia that employs 35,000 associates and is pursuing a 'strategic expansion with disciplined stabilization' approach to hiring.

Leeann Kaminsky

The senior vice president and chief human resources officer of WVU Health System.

Beaufort Memorial

A 201-bed, nonprofit community hospital and the largest medical facility between Savannah, Georgia, and Charleston, South Carolina, which is expanding to meet growing regional demand.

Tina Jackson

The chief people officer of Beaufort Memorial.

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What they’re saying

“We are seeing targeted hiring in high-need clinical specialties, advanced services and roles that directly strengthen patient access, quality and operational effectiveness.”

— Leeann Kaminsky, Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, WVU Health System (Becker's Hospital Review)

“We are seeing the need for more healthcare opportunities, whether that be physicians or emergent care needs.”

— Tina Jackson, Chief People Officer, Beaufort Memorial (Becker's Hospital Review)

The takeaway

Healthcare's role as a key driver of national job growth is complicated by shifting dynamics within the industry, as hospitals and health systems balance expansion in high-demand areas with tighter workforce controls amid factors like reimbursement pressures, technology adoption, and policy changes. Organizations are pursuing measured growth strategies focused on mission-critical roles and initiatives that strengthen access and operational efficiency.