Healthcare hiring surges in Sunbelt metros

Healthcare hiring continues to split along geographic lines. In Seattle, job openings fell 28.76% YoY amid a wave of hospital layoffs; New York, Portland, DC, and Boston all posted double digit declines as higher cost coastal systems face margin pressure and, in DC’s case, federal workforces are reduced. Meanwhile, Sunbelt metros are still expanding: Charlotte and Orlando grew 17.10% and 14.48%, respectively, And other cities like Phoenix, Jacksonville, and Houston are adding healthcare jobs, all fueled by population growth and new hospital capacity. Healthcare labor demand is moving away from strained coastal systems and toward Sunbelt corridors where population growth, particularly among retirees, is outpacing existing healthcare capacity.