Prognosis
U.S. Hospitals Struggle to Match Walmart Pay as Staff Flees Omicron
- With workers in short supply, an accountant sits with patients
- Rural hospitals serving older communities are at greatest risk
A medical worker in the ICU ward of a hospital in Worcester, Massachusetts on Jan. 4.
Photographer: Joseph Prezioso/AFP/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
U.S. hospitals are struggling to get the workers they need to treat patients through the winter’s Covid-19 surge as the virus collides with a historically tight labor market.
High demand for labor throughout the economy is making it harder to find replacements for doctors, nurses and support staff who have been sidelined by the omicron variant. It’s especially tough in small towns and rural areas with aging populations and fewer people entering the workforce.