Houston Labor Market Pulse
2010 RN Fall Brief
Vacancy Index & Recruitment Activity Indicators
Hospital RN vacancy rates are a great indicator of RN shortages in the market and an individual facility’s ability to address labor challenges. However, vacancy rates are often not disclosed so it can be difficult to assess if certain areas or facilities are facing greater challenges than others. The Labor Market Pulse® Vacancy Index fills this knowledge gap in the market.
Fall 2010 Update: Houston RN Vacancies on the Rise
• RN recruitment activity, as measured by the Labor Market Pulse® Vacancy Index, is back on the rise as of the the beginning of Q3 2010. By the end of the quarter it was at its highest level since the first quarter of 2009.
• Of the local facilities tracked, Methodist Willowbrook, Memorial Hermann Northwest, and Memorial Hermann TIRR registered the highest number of vacancies.
• In the Houston area, job postings by type have remained fairly consistent, with full time positions comprising over 80% of the job postings.
• The RN Job Posting Index captures the acceleration or decline of recruitment activity, regardless of changes in hospital bed size and FTE’s employed
• A value of more than 100 indicates intensifying recruitment activity, and a value of less than 100 indicates easing of recruitment activity
• The tracking initiative began in October 2008 with the inaugural 6-week base period ending October 28, 2008