Report Shows Continued Healthcare Workforce Shortages Across New York State
ALBANY, N.Y. (June 1, 2026) — While New York State's healthcare employment has continued to grow, persistent workforce shortages and regional disparities remain major challenges for the state's healthcare system. A recent report from the Center for Health Workforce Studies at the University at Albany’s College of Integrated Health Sciences provides a current overview of New York’s health workforce, including workforce supply and demand, employment trends and the health status of New Yorkers. The report is intended to support healthcare providers, policymakers, educators and other stakeholders in health workforce planning efforts.
From 2020 to 2024, healthcare employment in New York State increased by 15%. However, nearly all growth occurred in New York City and Long Island, which saw a 20% increase in healthcare jobs. In contrast, all other regions combined experienced only 3% growth, underscoring widening regional workforce disparities.
Employment trends also varied significantly by healthcare setting. Home healthcare experienced the largest increase statewide, growing by 41% (the vast majority in New York City), which emphasizes the importance of the home healthcare sector as demand for care services continues to increase alongside New York’s aging population. Nursing home employment declined by 4%, reflecting ongoing challenges in long-term care residential staffing.
Healthcare employers across the state continue to report recruitment and retention difficulties for specific professions in various settings. Shortages of registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs) persist across all healthcare settings. Hospitals also identified shortages of clinical laboratory technologists, respiratory therapists and surgical technicians. Nursing homes and adult care facilities reported additional challenges recruiting and retaining respiratory therapists and speech-language pathologists, while home healthcare agencies struggled with open positions for home health aides and both occupational and physical therapists. Clinics cited ongoing shortages of dental hygienists, dentists, primary care physicians and psychiatrists.
The report also identified persistent barriers limiting expansion of both the health workforce and the educational pipeline. Education programs (particularly for RNs) continue to face faculty shortages, limited clinical training sites and admission caps, while healthcare employers report non-competitive salaries and shortages of qualified applicants as main reasons for recruitment and retention difficulties.
“When it comes to shortages, strengthening New York’s healthcare workforce requires two things: producing more healthcare workers and retaining those already in the workforce,” said Robert Martiniano, Senior Program Manager at the Center for Health Workforce Studies. “Continuously monitoring both the capacity of the education pipeline and the current supply of New York’s health workers is important to help guide stakeholders in their efforts to meet growing healthcare demand.”
The need for many healthcare occupations continues, with current production substantially lower than projected annual job openings for home health aides, nurse aides, RNs and LPNs.