Leveraging Public Data to Track the Allied Health Workforce: The Effect of COVID-19 Data Updates

Abstract

The Center for Health Workforce Studies at the University of Washington (UW CHWS) leverages data to track the allied health workforce using multiple public datasets. Previously, our team developed interactive web-based dashboards that allow users to compare state supply estimates (both unweighted and weighted) and examine aging trends among allied health professionals in three-year intervals (2011, 2014, 2017).^1,2 We also created dashboards showing commuting patterns for allied health professionals (2013-2017).³ These tools were designed to complement a series of reports describing national supply estimates,⁴ state supply estimates⁵ and commuting patterns⁶ for allied health professionals.

This brief describes an update of our previous work in which 2020 data was added to the state supply and aging trends dashboards. To illustrate how the COVID-19 pandemic influenced data collection and workforce supply estimates, we also incorporated 2019 and 2021 data in this update. Key questions we set out to answer:

How has the estimated supply and employment of allied health care workers in the U.S. changed at the national and state levels compared with before the COVID-19 pandemic, and how has the pandemic appeared to have affected estimates?
What are the trends by age cohort and sex for 2019-2021, and are there any signs of early retirement for allied health care workers?

Authors:

Stubbs BA, Skillman SM, Dahal A, Frogner BK

Journal/Publisher:

Center for Health Workforce Studies, University of Washington

Edition:

Feb 2026.

Funder:

HRSA: HWRC Allied Health

Documents:

Full Report

Citation:

Stubbs BA, Skillman SM, Dahal A, Frogner BK. Leveraging public data to track the allied health workforce: The effect of COVID-19 data updates. Center for Health Workforce Studies, University of Washington. Feb 2026.