Travel nursing openings have been cut in half from last quarter

Healthcare saw a widespread contraction in Q1 2026, with travel nursing leading the decline, as postings fell 46% in a single quarter.. Licensed practical nursing, social worker, and radiology technician openings each dropped 15-19% since Q4 2025. The only exception was physician assistants, down just 3% from last quarter, as they absorb demand while health systems rebalance their workforce away from costly contract labor.