Physician recruitment still a challenge, even as healthcare employment rates increase

Although healthcare saw an increase in employment rates in December 2012, recruiters are still having trouble filling physician positions, according to an article from Fierce Healthcare. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that hospitals added 11,700 in December, while physician offices added 6,800. Overall, healthcare added 44,500 jobs last month.

Despite the increase in the number of available healthcare jobs, recruiters reported that hospitals are having difficulty employing physicians. Between April 2011 and March 2012, 63% of physician searches were for hospitals, up by 7% from the previous year, according to recruiting firm Merritt Hawkins.