COVID-19’s Effect on the Employment Status of Health Care Workers


  • Abstract

    The COVID-19 pandemic has had a dynamic effect on the health workforce. Redeployment, furlough, and layoff are among the terms used to describe various work statuses. Some terms are related and overlapping, potentially causing confusion for employees, media, policymakers, and researchers who may be interested in tracking health care employment trends throughout the pandemic. In this report, we define the range of work statuses that one can hold and identify areas where overlap in terms may create confusion. We describe how work status relates to employees’ wages and/or benefits as well as eligibility for unemployment benefits. We examine how self-employed health care workers and those not currently in the labor force fit into ongoing employment discussions during the COVID-19 pandemic. In closing, we discuss the potential long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on employment in the health care industry.


  • Authors:

    Oster NV, Skillman SM, Frogner BK

  • Journal/Publisher:

    Center for Health Workforce Studies, University of Washington

  • Edition:

    May 2021.

  • Documents:

    Policy Brief

  • Citation:

    Oster NV, Skillman SM, Frogner BK. COVID-19’s Effect on the Employment Status of Health Care Workers. Center for Health Workforce Studies, University of Washington, May 2021.

  • Related Studies:

    What Types of Changes in Employment Status Have Been Most Common Among Health Care Workers as a Result of the COVID-19 Emergency?