Study: Workforce renewal in health occupations, 1998 to 2024
Released: 2025-04-10
The health care sector keeping pace with the rising needs of an aging population has become increasingly important. Overall, the number of workers in health occupations in Canada more than doubled from close to 800,000 workers in 1998 to just under 1.7 million workers in 2024 (+898,000; +114.8%).
In this context, it is important to consider the age composition of the health workforce to better understand the extent to which younger workers could replace those approaching retirement age.
The new study released today, entitled "Workforce renewal in health occupations," uses data from 1998 to 2024 from the Labour Force Survey to examine recent and longer-term employment trends in health occupations. The study also uses data from the 2021 Census of Population to explore indicators of occupation renewal and the role immigration plays in mitigating the impacts of an aging health workforce.
Growth in the health workforce has outpaced total employment growth over the past 25 years
The number of workers in health occupations has grown steadily over the past 25 years. From 1998 to 2024, the health workforce grew on average by 3% per year, which is double the pace observed across all occupations combined (+1.5% on average per year).
Chart 1
Employment growth in health occupations, 1998 to 2024
Growth in the health workforce has also been strong in recent years. In 2024, the number of workers in health occupations rose by 45,000 (+2.7%) from 2023, with nursing occupations (+30,000 workers) accounting for two-thirds of the overall net increase.
Compared with 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, employment in health occupations was up by 212,000 (+14.4%) in 2024. During that period, employment in nursing occupations rose by 21.2%, while the number of physicians (+7.2%) and the number of nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates (+3.7%) also grew, albeit at a slower pace.
Recent increases in the number of workers in health occupations may have helped slow the aging of the health workforce. In 2024, 17.9% of health workers were aged 55 years and older, down slightly from the peak of 19.6% recorded in 2018. However, in 2024, the rate remained significantly higher than in 1998 (9.5%).
The renewal ratio for workers in health occupations has remained steady in recent years
The renewal ratio for workers in health occupations can help determine the extent to which workers approaching retirement age can be replaced by younger workers entering the workforce.
The renewal ratio is defined as the ratio of the number of workers aged 25 to 34 years to the number of workers aged 55 to 64 years. For workers in health occupations, the renewal ratio was 1.9 in 2024, meaning that for each worker approaching retirement age, there were close to two younger workers. In comparison, the renewal ratio for the total workforce (which includes all occupational groups) in Canada was 1.5 in 2024.
Renewal ratios varied across specific health occupations. According to results from the 2021 Census, the renewal ratios of licensed practical nurses (2.2) and registered nurses (1.9) were higher than the overall renewal ratio for health occupations (1.6). Conversely, the renewal ratio among nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates during this period was 0.9, meaning there were fewer people entering the workforce relative to those approaching retirement age.
Recent immigrants and non-permanent residents offset the impacts of an aging workforce for nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates
In Canada, newcomers—particularly young recent immigrants and non-permanent residents—contribute to alleviating the impacts of an aging workforce on labour supply and to increasing renewal ratios in some health occupations.
Immigrants and non-permanent residents made up close to half (44.8%) of nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates in 2021. Furthermore, recent immigrants and non-permanent residents accounted for close to one-quarter (23.8%) of those aged 25 to 34 years in this occupation.
Recent immigrants who were nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates often had qualifications which were higher than those typically required for the occupation. For example, in 2021, nearly half (47.1%) of this group had a bachelor's degree or higher, compared with 6.3% of workers in this occupation who were born in Canada.
This finding highlights the barriers immigrants can face when looking to apply their skills in Canada, underscoring possible areas of over-qualification and potential labour underutilization. For many new immigrants, becoming a nurse aide, orderly or patient service associate can be an entry point for work in the health care system, even for those with qualifications significantly above those required for the job.
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Note to readers
This release summarizes the findings of the article released today, titled "Workforce renewal in health occupations." The article is based on annual data from 1998 to 2024 from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) and the 2021 Census of Population.
The LFS is a monthly household survey conducted by Statistics Canada. Recently, the LFS monthly sample has included approximately 65,000 households, resulting in labour data for well over 100,000 individuals. The target population of the LFS includes all persons aged 15 years and older whose usual place of residence is in Canada, with some exclusions (i.e., persons living on reserves, full-time members of the regular Armed Forces and persons living in institutions). In this study, indicators from the LFS are based on annual averages of the monthly LFS data.
The Census of Population is conducted every five years and provides a detailed and comprehensive statistical portrait of Canada. The Census long-form questionnaire, which is administered to a sample of 25% of the Canadian population, includes questions on respondents' labour force status and occupation during the week preceding the census, or during the previous year.
Occupational data in this study are based on the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021. The NOC has been developed and maintained as part of a collaborative partnership between Employment and Social Development Canada and Statistics Canada. The NOC 2021 is the result of an extensive revision from the NOC 2016.
Products
The article, "Workforce renewal in health occupations," is now available in Insights on Canadian Society (75-006-X).
Contact information
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).
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