Nursing job data shows a workforce shaped by staffing gaps across U.S. hospitals and home health, plus workload strain and reliance on supplemental help. In 2023, 63% of healthcare providers reported using temporary or contract staffing to cover shortages. With projections of 5.1% employment growth for registered nurses from 2023 to 2033, the page explains how role demand, support capacity, and staffing tools influence opportunities.
Key Takeaways
- 4.7 million jobs in healthcare were vacant in the U.S. in 2023, contributing to competition for nursing talent
- 16.9% of hospitals reported experiencing a shortage of registered nurses in 2023 in a staffing survey, reflecting supply constraints
- 16% of nurse practitioners reported that their primary barrier to taking more patients is staffing capacity (including nursing support) in 2023
- 5.1% projected employment growth for registered nurses in the U.S. from 2023 to 2033, reflecting expected expansion of the role
- 2.0% employment growth projected for LPN/LVNs in the U.S. from 2023 to 2033, indicating more gradual expansion than RNs
- 63% of healthcare providers reported using temporary/contract staffing to address nursing shortages in 2023, reflecting reliance on staffing augmentation
- 17% of U.S. registered nurses worked overtime in 2022, indicating sustained workload and staffing strain
- A 2023 study found that each additional 10 patients per day per nurse was associated with increased risk of mortality outcomes, showing workload-health impacts
- $10.0 billion spent on agency nursing in the U.S. in 2023, reflecting the scale of supplemental staffing
- $46.2 billion global home health care services market size in 2024, indicating broader labor demand that includes nurses
- $5.1 billion global nursing staffing services market size in 2024, showing the dedicated spend on nursing labor solutions
- The U.S. had 2.1 million healthcare workers employed in home health in 2023, many of whom are nurses and allied clinicians
- 1.5 million people were employed as licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses (LPN/LVNs) in the U.S. in 2023, adding to nursing workforce capacity
- The U.S. had 1.9 million nursing assistants and orderlies employed in 2023, indicating related direct care roles supporting nursing
- In 2022, registered nurses were the largest occupation in the healthcare workforce category in the U.S., representing 59.3% of healthcare support and clinical roles in employment
Nursing shortages are driving heavy overtime and agency spending, while RN growth is expected despite ongoing staffing strain.
Related reading
01 · Category
Working Conditions5 stats
01
63% of healthcare providers reported using temporary/contract staffing to address nursing shortages in 2023, reflecting reliance on staffing augmentation
02
17% of U.S. registered nurses worked overtime in 2022, indicating sustained workload and staffing strain
03
A 2023 study found that each additional 10 patients per day per nurse was associated with increased risk of mortality outcomes, showing workload-health impacts
04
In 2023, the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality reported that 35% of hospitals experienced delays in care due to staffing shortages including nursing roles
05
The BLS reports that registered nurses worked a median of 36 hours per week in May 2023, supporting staffing model assumptions
Interpretation
Working Conditions Interpretation
Working conditions for nurses are being strained as evidenced by 63% of healthcare providers using temporary or contract staffing to cover shortages in 2023, alongside sustained overtime and care delays, including 17% of U.S. registered nurses working overtime in 2022 and 35% of hospitals reporting staffing-related delays in 2023.
02 · Category
Industry Trends5 stats
01
In 2022, registered nurses were the largest occupation in the healthcare workforce category in the U.S., representing 59.3% of healthcare support and clinical roles in employment
02
The U.S. nursing shortage index reached 1.26 in 2022 in a report by Healthforce Center, indicating severity above parity
03
32% of hospitals reported using nurse staffing software (workforce management) in 2023, reflecting adoption of scheduling optimization
04
70% of nurse managers reported that electronic rostering tools improved schedule consistency in 2023 survey results
05
By 2024, 30% of U.S. states had adopted or updated nurse staffing regulations requiring minimum staffing levels, influencing staffing needs
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
In 2023 and beyond, the industry trend is clear that staffing tools and tougher rules are increasingly shaping nursing workforces, from 32% of hospitals using nurse staffing software and 70% of nurse managers seeing better schedule consistency to 30% of U.S. states adopting or updating minimum staffing regulations by 2024, all while the 2022 nurse shortage index of 1.26 shows the pressure remains high.
03 · Category
Market Size4 stats
01
$46.2 billion global home health care services market size in 2024, indicating broader labor demand that includes nurses
02
$5.1 billion global nursing staffing services market size in 2024, showing the dedicated spend on nursing labor solutions
03
The U.S. had 2.1 million healthcare workers employed in home health in 2023, many of whom are nurses and allied clinicians
04
5.6% of healthcare workers in the U.S. were employed in nursing-related roles as nursing support and direct care in 2023, reflecting role concentration
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
In 2024, the market size signals strong and sustained demand for nursing labor with $46.2 billion in global home health care services and $5.1 billion in nursing staffing services, supported by the U.S. employing 2.1 million healthcare workers in home health in 2023.
More related reading
04 · Category
Workforce Demand3 stats
01
4.7 million jobs in healthcare were vacant in the U.S. in 2023, contributing to competition for nursing talent
02
16.9% of hospitals reported experiencing a shortage of registered nurses in 2023 in a staffing survey, reflecting supply constraints
03
16% of nurse practitioners reported that their primary barrier to taking more patients is staffing capacity (including nursing support) in 2023
Interpretation
Workforce Demand Interpretation
In 2023, workforce demand for nursing was clearly under pressure as 4.7 million healthcare jobs were vacant nationwide, 16.9% of hospitals reported registered nurse shortages, and 16% of nurse practitioners cited staffing capacity as the main barrier to taking more patients.
05 · Category
Workforce Growth2 stats
01
5.1% projected employment growth for registered nurses in the U.S. from 2023 to 2033, reflecting expected expansion of the role
02
2.0% employment growth projected for LPN/LVNs in the U.S. from 2023 to 2033, indicating more gradual expansion than RNs
Interpretation
Workforce Growth Interpretation
Under the Workforce Growth category, registered nurses are projected to see faster expansion with 5.1% employment growth from 2023 to 2033 compared with 2.0% for LPNs and LVNs, signaling a stronger overall demand for the RN workforce over the decade.
06 · Category
Industry Overview3 stats
01
1.5 million people were employed as licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses (LPN/LVNs) in the U.S. in 2023, adding to nursing workforce capacity
02
The U.S. had 1.9 million nursing assistants and orderlies employed in 2023, indicating related direct care roles supporting nursing
03
$10.0 billion spent on agency nursing in the U.S. in 2023, reflecting the scale of supplemental staffing
Interpretation
Industry Overview Interpretation
In the 2023 U.S. nursing industry overview, 1.5 million LPN/LVNs and 1.9 million nursing assistants and orderlies underscore a large workforce pipeline while $10.0 billion in agency nursing highlights growing reliance on supplemental staffing to meet care demands.
report visual · Key figures
Nursing shortages and staffing strain
Across providers, hospitals, and nurses, shortages show up as heavy overtime and care delays, alongside significant adoption of staffing tools and software.
17%
17% of U.S. registered nurses worked overtime in 2022, indicating sustained workload and staffing strain
35%
In 2023, the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality reported that 35% of hospitals experienced delays in care d
16.9%
16.9% of hospitals reported experiencing a shortage of registered nurses in 2023 in a staffing survey, reflecting supply
32%
32% of hospitals reported using nurse staffing software (workforce management) in 2023, reflecting adoption of schedulin
70%
70% of nurse managers reported that electronic rostering tools improved schedule consistency in 2023 survey results
63%
63% of healthcare providers reported using temporary/contract staffing to address nursing shortages in 2023, reflecting
source-verifiedbls.gov · ahrq.gov · ahajournals.org · healthcaredive.com · himss.org · mckinsey.com2023
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Aisha Okonkwo. (2026, February 13). Nursing Job Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/nursing-job-statistics
MLA
Aisha Okonkwo. "Nursing Job Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/nursing-job-statistics.
Chicago
Aisha Okonkwo. 2026. "Nursing Job Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/nursing-job-statistics.
Sources & references
22 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+8 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)