Job openings for nurses are declining

In 2025, healthcare has emerged as a rare bright spot in an otherwise sluggish job market, with healthcare jobs rising steadily throughout the year. However, the gains haven’t been evenly distributed throughout the field. Job openings for Licensed Practical Nurses have fallen nearly 12%, while Intensive/Intermediate Care Nurse openings are down 10%. This may signal a period of hiring stagnation as employers focus on reducing labor costs, with only higher-margin, diagnostic roles like radiology seeing growth, and lower-cost roles like medical assistants holding steady.