Recent Nursing School Graduates See Scarcity of Jobs in California
Many of California's new nursing school graduates are struggling to find employment amid the ongoing recession, Payers & Providers reports.
Projected nurse hiring for 2010 is less than half of its 2008 level, according to estimates from the California Institute for Nursing & Health Care. CINHC also estimates that the statewide vacancy rate for nursing jobs has declined from 7% to less than 5% during the last two years.
As a result, up to 40% of recent nursing school graduates have not found employment, CINHC data show.
Experts say the recession has decelerated hiring and recruitment for newly graduated nurses because:
- Many older nurses are delaying retirement;
- Some hospitals have imposed hiring freezes; and
- Some hospitals are hiring only experienced nurses who do not need training.