Wave of Baby Boomer Retirements Could Sap a Quarter of the Public Health Workforce

A study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found 25 percent of the public health workforce could either retire or lose their jobs on account of attrition, reports Fierce Healthcare . "Because of the Great Recession beginning in 2008 and other economic considerations, staff are delaying retirement in unprecedented numbers," says study co-author Jonathon Leider at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. "However, this can't last forever, and agencies will see the 'silver tsunami' show up, if they haven't already. Our research helps quantify this challenge." About 197,000 people are currently employed at state and local public health agencies, and at least 65,000 are due to retire by 2020. The study estimates that 100,000 staffers could leave the workforce by 2020. Universities issue about 25,000 public health degrees annually, so theoretically there would be enough graduates to meet demand. However, private entities, which can offer better pay and benefits, have an advantage on recruiting graduates. Elizabeth Harper with the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials says public health agencies must be able to adapt to draw and retain qualified hires. "Workforce shortages are more than a mere numbers game, since the potential supply of workers far exceeds potential demand," she notes. Meanwhile, the healthcare sector also is facing a national physician shortage, although many baby boomer physicians are reluctant to retire. Nevertheless, estimates peg the shortage of physicians at 100,000 by 2030.