Once again, the health care and social assistance sector has one of the highest vacancy rates in Quebec. According to data from the Institut de la statistique du Québec (ISQ) released Thursday, the vacancy rate has doubled in this sector in four years.
In 2023, the vacancy rate in the health care and social assistance sector was 7.4%, or 43,000 positions. In 2019, it was 3.5%.
The average for all industries in Quebec for 2023 is 4.5%.
The ISQ data for the first quarter of 2024, which was released in June, seems to indicate that the trend is continuing. For that period, it is estimated that there were 41,300 vacant health positions, which is “not statistically significantly different from the number observed in the first quarter of 2023.”
Furthermore, around 70% of vacancies in health professions were full-time in 2023. This proportion is around 20 points higher than that observed in 2019.
The problem is particularly acute for nurses. This is the profession where the number of vacancies has increased the most, from around 3,500 in 2019 to around 9,900 in 2023.
This is not the only occupation where it is difficult to fill positions. In 2023, there were approximately 7,200 vacant positions for nursing assistants, care assistants and beneficiary attendants, compared to 4,100 in 2019.
In its analysis, the ISQ also highlights that the time that has elapsed since an open position was posted is a relevant piece of data to show that employers are having more difficulty filling jobs. For all vacant positions in the health sector, approximately 52% had been posted for at least 90 days in 2019. This rate rose to 62% in 2023. The majority of positions to be filled in health had therefore been vacant for at least three months.
For nurses only, the share of positions vacant for 90 days or more increased from 52% in 2019 to 68% in 2023.
On the other hand, the years of experience sometimes required for hiring do not seem to be the reason why it is difficult to recruit workers since in 2023, approximately 85% of all vacant positions in the health sector did not require any years of experience.
Compensation has little impact
Overall, the data shows that between 2019 and 2023, approximately 25,000 vacancies were added in the health and social assistance sector. “It should be noted that at the same time, there was also an increase of approximately 36,000 salaried jobs in this industry, which were filled, which reflects the increased needs of the workforce in the field,” the ISQ analysis states. Due to the aging of the population, the need for services is increasing in the health sector.
Yet, compensation has increased, but it does not seem to be enough to attract more workers. In 2023, the average hourly rate for vacant health positions was $27.66, which represents a 26% increase compared to 2019 when the average hourly rate was $21.94.
The increase in compensation varies by occupation. The strongest growth was seen among nursing assistants, care assistants and orderlies. Their salary increased from $17 in 2019 to $24.16 in 2023, an increase of 42%.
Quebec is not the only province facing challenges filling health care positions. Ontario has also seen growth in health care vacancies in recent years, but has seen a decline in 2023. Ontario’s health and social assistance vacancy rate stands at 6.0%, widening the gap with Quebec, which continues to see this rate climb.
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