MSP Metro Workforce Report May 10 – 16, 2020
Each week, RealTime Talent highlights the critical needs of employers in the 7-County Minneapolis-Saint Paul Metro (MSP) by lifting up the top jobs, skills, and certifications advertised by employers,[1] as well as the top locations that employers are advertising openings aligned with five of the region’s most critical sectors. Each sector is comprised of a family of like-occupations that from a function and career pathway standpoint are related to one-another.[2] These reports focus on jobs that require an Associate’s degree or less, and include an in-depth analysis on one occupation each week that is high-demand, high-opportunity, and/or high-growth.
This week, we highlight a critical occupation that MSP employers have unique and complex needs for right now: Certified Nursing Assistants. We will dig into what the current job market looks like, how demand has shifted over time for these critical entry-level frontline healthcare workers, and what new initiatives are emerging to help fill essential CNA positions right now.
1 SOURCE: All data in this section is from new jobs posted online in the 7-county Minneapolis-Saint Paul Metro between May 10-16, 2020. Data includes staffing agencies and represents dedulplicated new job posts from all corporate websites and job boards. Trend comparison to a prior period refers to the week immediately prior. All data was gathered from TalentNeuron Recruit, www.wantedanalytics.com on May 24, 2020.
2 All sectors are defined as job families that are related by skills, competencies, and career pathways, with the exception of Government jobs. The Government sector is identified by city, county, regional, and state government employers.
Occupations in Focus: CERTIFIED NURSING ASSISTANTS
One of the entry-level healthcare positions with some of the most complex hiring needs right now—not only in the metro, but nationwide—is the Nursing Assistant occupation.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Certified Nursing Assistants were expected to remain in high demand in the MSP Metro, though not necessarily as an occupation of high shortage. Approximately 17,184 people worked as Nursing Assistants in the 7-county region as of the fourth quarter of 2019, making an average wage of $35,900. Unemployment rates in this occupation were relatively low overall, though one of the highest unemployment rates locally among healthcare occupations (3.3%). The table below illustrates how Nursing Assistant employment statistics compare to some other comparable healthcare aide and assistant occupations (SOC 31-1000).
Occupational employment in the 7-county Minneapolis-Saint Paul Metro.
Source: JobsEQ®
Data as of 2019Q4 unless noted otherwise
Note: Figures may not sum due to rounding.
- Data based on a four-quarter moving average unless noted otherwise.
- Wage data are as of 2018 and represent the average for all Covered Employment
- Data represent found online ads active within the last thirty days in the selected region; data represents a sampling rather than the complete universe of postings. Ads lacking zip code information but designating a place (city, town, etc.) may be assigned to the zip code with greatest employment in that place for queries in this analytic. Due to alternative county-assignment algorithms, ad counts in this analytic may not match that shown in RTI (nor in the popup window ad list).
Over the next five years, it is expected that at least 58% of current Certified Nursing Assistants will need to be replaced with new talent due to job changes, retirements, and people leaving the workforce. In addition, the region is expected to see growth of 650 new Certified Nursing Assistant opportunities over the next five years (annual average growth of 0.7%), at a minimum. Compared to occupations overall in the MSP Metro, the Certified Nursing Assistant occupation (and other direct service healthcare careers) has a high demand to employment ratio: a high volume of positions that will need to be filled by the end of 2024 in relation to the current number of people employed in these careers.
Occupational employment in the 7-county Minneapolis-Saint Paul Metro.
Source: JobsEQ®
Data as of 2019Q4 unless noted otherwise
Note: Figures may not sum due to rounding.
- Data based on a four-quarter moving average unless noted otherwise.
- Wage data are as of 2018 and represent the average for all Covered Employment
- Data represent found online ads active within the last thirty days in the selected region; data represents a sampling rather than the complete universe of postings. Ads lacking zip code information but designating a place (city, town, etc.) may be assigned to the zip code with greatest employment in that place for queries in this analytic. Due to alternative county-assignment algorithms, ad counts in this analytic may not match that shown in RTI (nor in the popup window ad list).
Nursing Assistants provide basic patient care under direction of nursing staff and perform duties such as feed, bathe, dress, groom, or move patients, or change linens. They may also transfer or transport patients. In order to work as a Nursing Assistant, it is necessary to have a certification. However, some employers are able to hire individuals working toward their certification, provided that they successfully complete their studies and pass the qualifying exam within a specified time period.
Despite a dip in total volume of new Certified Nursing Assistant jobs in April 2020, older adult services and long-term care providers continue to have strong demand for talent. Across positions advertised on any job board in the region between May 1, 2019 and April 30, 2020, volumes of newly-posted positions advertised by older adult services providers held steady in volume compared to previous years at about 750 new jobs advertised in that 12-month period (up 0.4% from the prior 12-month period).[3] Across all employer types, there were 5,232 Nursing Assistant roles newly advertised from May 1, 2019 through April 30, 2020, plus another 225 advertised by staffing agencies locally (overall, volumes up 9% from the prior 12-month period).
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[3] New jobs are positions that were newly posted on a platform during the specified time frame. Available jobs means the position was active on a website during the specified time frame, and may have been posted earlier than the time frame.
In addition to requiring certification as a Nursing Assistant, certifications in CPR, Basic Life Support, and as a Trained Medication Aide are also in demand from recruiting employers. A Nursing Assistant certification is one of the few healthcare certifications that 16 year olds can obtain and use in the workplace in right away. Students that pass core coursework and are at least 16 years of age by the start date of the course can be eligible to begin studying to be a Certified Nursing Assistant. In addition, these educational credits can often be applied to future healthcare education. Nursing Assistant Certification costs about $1,000 on average per individual (depending on the institution), plus testing fees (currently $219 per test). A number of metro employers already have internal strategies for upskilling and advancing their Nursing Assistant talent (such as partnership with the MN Department of Labor’s PIPELINE Program), so many students could begin their healthcare career as a Nursing Assistant as early as high school, continue to become a Licensed Practical Nurse through an employer program by age 19, and seek out tuition reimbursement to complete a 2- or 4-year Registered Nursing degree.
Local Employer Strategies: Caring Careers Start Here
Employers in the older adult services space are strengthening their partnerships to create innovative and new solutions to help build and maintain a strong talent pool for their essential entry-level jobs. HealthForce Minnesota has teamed up with Care Providers of Minnesota and LeadingAge Minnesota to create a free, new, online recruitment hub for senior care providers.
Caring Careers Start Here was originally designed to introduce students to careers in senior care but was recently revamped to address the growing need for key positions as a result of the increased pressure on workforce shortages due to the global pandemic. As Governor Tim Walz referenced in his announcement on the state’s new 5-Point Battle Plan to Protect the Most Vulnerable, ensuring adequate staffing levels in long-term care is critical to combatting COVID-19. This new recruitment hub is one effort that the long-term care community is engaged in to increase staffing in our settings.
“We need more healthcare heroes to join one of the most rewarding professions there is – a career in long-term care,” said Nicole Mattson, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, Care Providers of Minnesota. “Caring Careers Start Here is a central clearinghouse for displaced workers, retired workers, students and other job seekers to learn about the various positions in senior care settings and get connected with available jobs in their geographic region.”
The campaign, which can be found at www.caringcareeersstarthere.com, is predominantly geared toward entry level positions, such as nursing assistant, dietary aide, housekeeping, non-licensed personnel and others. Many opportunities in this field value and require skills that individuals coming from the hospitality and service industry are adept in, such as customer service, compassion, safe food handling, and attention to detail. In addition to providing a direct link for individuals looking to launch their career in entry-level healthcare careers, the site will also serve as a key connection for workforce development professionals and others who are assisting dislocated or unemployed workers.
“Caring Careers Start Here is targeted at people who are looking to take the first step in a new career, apply their experience in a new sector or to return to their profession as way to give back during this unprecedented public health emergency,” said Jenna Kellerman, Director of Workforce Solutions, LeadingAge Minnesota. “At a time when Minnesota is facing a large growth in its unemployment rate, there are thousands of jobs available in nursing homes, assisted living and memory care. Caring Careers Start Here is the vital link in connecting people with jobs across Minnesota.”
For more information on Caring Careers Start Here, contact:
Nicole Mattson, Care Providers of Minnesota, nmattson@careprovidersmn.org
Jenna Kellerman, LeadingAge Minnesota, jkellerman@leadingagemn.org
Other Nursing Assistant Labor Market Insights
As of 2019Q4, total employment for Nursing Assistants in the 7-County MSP Metro was 17,184. Over the past three years, this occupation added 266 jobs in the region and—according to official forecasts by the Bureau of Labor Statistics—is expected to increase by 912 jobs over the next seven years, or at an annual average rate of 0.7%.
Source: JobsEQ®
Data as of 2019Q4 unless noted otherwise
Note: Figures may not sum due to rounding.
- Data based on a four-quarter moving average unless noted otherwise.
- Wage data are as of 2018 and represent the average for all Covered Employment
- Data represent found online ads active within the last thirty days in the selected region; data represents a sampling rather than the complete universe of postings. Ads lacking zip code information but designating a place (city, town, etc.) may be assigned to the zip code with greatest employment in that place for queries in this analytic. Due to alternative county-assignment algorithms, ad counts in this analytic may not match that shown in RTI (nor in the popup window ad list).
The below maps illustrate the zip code-level distribution of employed Nursing Assistants in the MSP Metro. Employment is shown by place of work and by residence. While employment of Nursing Assistants has a high concentration in the urban core, employees also live in higher concentration in zip codes just outside of the center of the city.
The following table illustrates the industries in the MSP Metro which most employ Nursing Assistants. The single industry most employing this occupation in the region is Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities), NAICS 6231. This industry employs 6,665 Nursing Assistants in the MSP Metro—employment which is expected to decrease by 260 jobs over the next ten years in official forecasts; furthermore, 7,293 additional new workers in this occupation will be needed for this industry due to separation demand, that is, to replace workers in this occupation and industry that retire or move into a different occupation.
The average (mean) annual wage for Nursing Assistants was $35,900 in the MSP Metro as of 2018. For the same year, average entry level wages were approximately $28,900 compared to an average of $39,500 for experienced workers.
The table below is a list of postsecondary program awards that were granted by postsecondary institutions located in the 7-County MSP Metro in the 2018 academic year. These programs have been identified as providing training for Nursing Assistants (for further details, see the source note).
Report released on 5/26/2020 by RealTime Talent on the INSIGHTS blog at www.realtimetalent.org. All data in the first section of this report is from TalentNeuron Recruit, accessed May 22 and 24, 2020 at www.wantedanalytics.com. Data from the Occupations in Focus section of this report is from TalentNeuron (job postings) and JobsEQ, a tool of Chmura Economics, accessed May 22, 2020. Contact Erin Olson, Research Strategist at erin@realtimetalentmn.org with any questions or inquiries.
