Healthcare professions, employment starts growing again: leap from 77% to 85%

Employment level values ​​are increasing compared to last year for all four areas of healthcare professions and overall the trend is equal to +8 percentage points: from 76.8% in 2022 to 84.8% in 2023. In detail, for the Nursing and Midwifery area the increase is equal to +7.4 percentage points, from 77.7% to 85.1%; even higher for the Rehabilitation professions with +9.3 percentage points, from 77.1% in 2022 to 86.4% in 2023. Similar increases concern the Technical area with +8.1 percentage points, going from 73.9% to 82.0% and the Prevention area, with +9 percentage points, from 72.6% in 2022 to 81.6% in 2023.

Analyzing in detail the 22 health professions on the latest data of graduates of the year 2023, the high employment rate in the first 5 places and above the average of 84.8% is noted: neuropsychomotor therapist of developmental age from 81.1% last year to 89.6%; Speech therapist from 76.9% to 88.1%; Radiology technician from 78.6% to 87.8%; Podiatrist from 66.7% to 87.5%, Physiotherapist from 80.5% to 87.4%. Next, Neurophysiology Technician from 81.0% to 86.4%, Pediatric Nurse from 73.5% to 86.7%, Dental Hygienist from 80.7% to 86.4% and Nurse from 77.8% to 85.5%.

Following below the average of 85% - from the figure of 77% - are the Professional Educator and Psychiatric Rehabilitation Technician (84%), Occupational Therapist, Laboratory Technician and Health Assistant (83%), Prevention Technician (81%), Midwife, Orthoptist, Hearing Aid Technician and Orthopedic Technician (79%), Dietitian (71%), Cardiocirculatory Physiopathology Technician (68%) and Audiometrist Technician (63%).

As regards the employment rates divided by the universities active in the 17 regions, the following values ​​are found in decreasing order: Friuli Venezia Giulia (91.1%); Marche (89.7%); Lombardy (89.0%), Tuscany (88.8%); Piedmont (87.9%); Veneto (86.4%); Puglia (85.3%); Umbria (84.8%); Emilia Romagna (84.3%); Liguria (83.9%); Lazio (82.0%); Molise (81.6%); Sicily (80.9%); Campania (80.8%); Sardinia (80.4%) and finally the universities of Calabria with 78.9% and Abruzzo with 78.3%.

These data can be a useful orientation tool for new high school graduates for enrollment in the entrance exam for the 23 Health Professions Degree Courses that will be held on September 8. It is expected that in the announcements that the Universities are about to publish, the approximately 35 thousand positions could be confirmed, compared to which last year there were approximately 65 thousand applications, with an average ratio of almost 2 applications for a position. They range from the maximum ratios of 7 applications for 1 position for Physiotherapist, 4 for Speech Therapist and Midwife, followed by Dietitian with 3, Dental Hygienist and Radiology Technician with 2.5, Nurse with an average ratio of 1 to 1 for 20 thousand positions and the other Courses to follow.

* Professor of Organization of Health Professions, University of Bologna

(I would like to thank the Interuniversity Consortium AlmaLaurea of ​​Bologna for the availability of the data and the invaluable collaboration of Sara Binassi, Claudia Girotti and Daniela Perozzi of the Consortium's Research and Statistics Office)