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Rhode Island Job Vacancy
Survey:
As Assessment of Health Care & Social Assistance Employment in the Ocean
State
Spring 2004
| Demographic
shifts and technological advances have helped spur an increased demand
for Health Care & Social Assistance services, making it one of the
Ocean State’s most dynamic labor markets. To gain a more complete
understanding of industry and occupational labor demand and job
characteristics, the Labor Market Information unit conducted a Job
Vacancy Survey (JVS) of the Health Care & Social Assistance industry
sector. More than 700 private sector establishments were randomly
selected to voluntarily participate in this survey, conducted in Spring
2004. This report, a first for the Department of Labor and Training,
presents the results of the 2004 Health Care & Social Assistance Job
Vacancy Survey.
In Spring 2004, there were an estimated 2,894 job vacancies in Rhode Island’s Health Care & Social Assistance industry sector. This represents a job vacancy rate of 4.1 percent, or four job openings for every one hundred filled. More than half of all estimated vacancies were in three occupations: Registered Nurses; Nursing Aides, Orderlies & Attendants; and Personal & Home Care Aides. By industry, the highest vacancy rates were estimated in Home Health Care Services, Residential Mental Retardation Facilities, and Offices of Mental Health Practitioners. Higher job vacancy rates indicate a greater demand for workers, perhaps due to increased business, high labor turnover, or an abundant level of part-time or per-diem work. The Rhode Island Job Vacancy Survey also collected data on vacancy characteristics. For instance, nearly 40 percent of the reported job vacancies were being constantly recruited for or were always open for hire. Job vacancy duration can be correlated with workforce shortages, high turnover, or an underskilled/underqualified workforce. A college education was required for more than one-third of the reported vacancies. However, a slightly higher share required only a high school diploma/GED, while just over six percent of job openings had no educational requirement at all. Although more than half of all estimated vacancies were part-time positions, benefit levels remained high. More than two-thirds of the reported openings offered health insurance and sixty percent had a retirement savings plan or pension. Over seventy percent of reported vacancies offered paid sick leave or vacation, while forty percent enticed perspective hires with tuition reimbursement. For more complete JVS statistics, please view our full 36-page report (in Adobe PDF format) by clicking the link above. Upon reviewing this publication, please take a moment to complete the Customer Satisfaction Survey located on page 31. If you have any questions regarding the Rhode Island Job Vacancy Survey, or would like additional copies of this publication, please contact LMI at (401) 462-8740 or lmi@dlt.ri.gov. |
