TEMPORARY HEALTHCARE STAFFING MARKET SIZE AND SHARE ANALYSIS - GROWTH TRENDS AND FORECASTS (2025-2032)

Temporary Healthcare Staffing Market Size and Forecast – 2025-2032

The global temporary healthcare staffing market was valued USD 58.06 Bn in 2025 and is expected to reach USD 77.96 Bn by 2032 growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.3%from 2025 to 2032.

Key Takeaways

• Based on Type, the Physician Staffing segment is expected to lead the market holding a share of 41.1% in 2025, owing to its specialized medical expertise.
• Based on the Application, the Staffing Gaps segment is expected to contribute the highest share of the global temporary healthcare staffing market in 2025, due to the shortage of workers and the aging population which is straining the healthcare system.
• Based on End-Users, the Hospital & Clinics segment is expected to account largest share of the market in 2025, as they are the primary users of these services and require flexibility and adaptability.
• Based on Region, North America is expected to lead the market, holding a share of 43.70% in 2025 driven by its robust healthcare infrastructure and increasing healthcare demand.

Market Overview

Temporary healthcare staffing refers to hiring resources for a predefined or short-term period, to meet the demands. A temporary workforce allows additional staff without increasing the permanent headcount and costs. A temporary staff can be a contractual, seasonal, interim, casual staff, outsourcing or freelance worker. In the field of healthcare, a temp staff could be a nurse, doctor or a full-range healthcare professional.

The demand for temporary and contract healthcare staffing has been rising considerably over the past few years. As healthcare needs and costs continue to increase all over the world, hospitals and other medical facilities are facing significant staffing challenges. With growing patient volumes, an aging population requiring more medical care, and shortages of permanent physicians and nurses, temporary staffing provides much-needed flexibility for facilities.

Current Events and their Impacts on the Temporary Healthcare Staffing Market

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Role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Temporary Healthcare Staffing Market

The implementation of artificial intelligence into temporary healthcare staffing has enhanced the healthcare landscape and resolved the staffing challenges. Leveraging AI technology in healthcare has streamlined the staffing process, improved decision-making, and ultimately led to better outcomes, for both healthcare providers and patients. The hiring process is optimised through AI-powered recruitment tools which have analysing data points such as skills, certification, experience and even personality traits. This is an effective way of matching candidates than the traditional method. Besides this, AI-based tools help healthcare organizations create well-designed shift schedules that account availability of staff and preferences, qualifications, and past performance.

In April 2025, Staff Direct, a UK-based recruitment agency specialising in temporary and permanent staffing solutions, launched a new artificial intelligence (AI) platform designed to streamline the hiring process for employers and candidates.

Global Temporary Healthcare Staffing Market Drivers

Increasing Acquisition by Key Market Players

Increasing adoption of organic growth strategies such as acquisitions is expected to drive the global temporary healthcare staffing market growth over the forecast period. For instance, on November 30, 2023, AMN Healthcare, a healthcare company, announced the acquisition of MSDR. MSDR consists of two healthcare staffing companies that specialize in locum tenens and advanced practices

Shortage of Permanent Healthcare Staff

The temporary healthcare staffing market has seen significant growth in recent years due to shortages in permanent healthcare staff across various roles and specialties. Hospitals, nursing homes, and other healthcare facilities have faced difficulty finding and retaining full-time nurses, physicians, and other clinical staff. This is due to a variety of factors including an aging population, increasing demand for healthcare consulting services, nurse burnout during the pandemic, and non-competitive salaries compared to travel nursing roles.

To continue providing quality patient care and meet mandatory staffing requirements, many healthcare organizations have turned to temporary staffing agencies to fill open positions on a contract basis. Registered nurses are in particularly high demand through temporary healthcare staffing arrangements. According to the American Hospital Association, over 70% of hospitals report using travelling nurses and other temporary clinical staff to supplement their workforce. Some facilities now rely on temporary clinical staff to make up over 10% of their headcount.

Global Temporary Healthcare Staffing Market - Restraints

Healthcare reimbursement changes

Changes in healthcare reimbursement policies globally are impacting the growth of the temporary healthcare staffing market. Many countries are shifting from fee-for-service models to value-based and bundled payment systems. This is aimed at reducing unnecessary costs and improving outcomes. However, this transition is proving challenging for the staffing industry. Under the newer reimbursement models, hospitals and healthcare facilities are under constant pressure to improve efficiency while managing costs. They are no longer reimbursed for each individual service but based on overall quality and value of care delivered. This has made them more selective in their spending including on temporary staffing. Healthcare providers are now focusing on building long-term cost-effective workforce strategies rather than relying on temporary personnel from staffing agencies. Some are even bringing critical temporary roles like nurses in-house on fixed term contracts to gain more control over expenses.

Global Temporary Healthcare Staffing Market- Opportunities

Increased Outsourcing of Non-clinical Roles

In addition to clinical personnel, hospitals and other healthcare providers are also outsourcing more non-clinical roles such as logistics, administration, billing, and coding to temporary staffing agencies. For instance, in October 2024, Mary Washington Healthcare in Virginia chose Ensemble Health Partners to handle its revenue cycle operations, following a trend of hospitals outsourcing some or all of their revenue cycle management. With rising costs and administrative burdens, outsourcing non-essential back-office functions allows healthcare organizations to focus internally on patient care while getting flexible support elsewhere as needed. Staffing agencies provide rotations of temporary non-clinical healthcare professionals skilled in various business and operational areas. This helps facilities avoid large permanent headcounts for roles with fluctuating demand while also gaining specialized expertise. The outsourcing of non-clinical healthcare jobs has doubled in the last 5 years according to industry surveys and now represents a significant portion of the temporary healthcare staffing market.

Segmental Analysis

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Temporary Healthcare Staffing Market Insights, By Type- The Growing Demand for Specialized Patient Care Drives Physician Staffing

The physician staffing segment is expected to dominate by 41.1% shares of the global temporary healthcare staffing market in 2025, to ensure patient care is delivered with high quality, even during unexpected staffing needs or surges in patient volume. Physician staffing is a process of managing and employing physicians in a full-time, part-time, contract or temporary position. Physician staffing is placed in the emergency department, intensive care unit (ICU), and hospital physician. They are multi-faceted, and crucial to healthcare delivery as it directly impacts patient care quality, safety, and outcome.

In April 2025, the Government of Saskatchewan is developing a digital recruitment campaign, partnered with the Saskatchewan Healthcare Recruitment Agency (SHRA) encouraging physicians from the United States to consider practising in Saskatchewan.

Temporary Healthcare Staffing Market Insights, By Application- Rising Real-World Workforce Shortage Drives Staffing Gaps Segment

The staffing gaps segment is expected to account for the highest shares of the market in 2025, due to reduced productivity, increased workload of the existing employees and potential burnout. Staffing gaps in healthcare are a situation where there is an unavailability of healthcare professionals to meet the needs of the patient volume. This situation leads to a shortage in specific roles such as nurses or physicians. This is observed due to several factors including aging workforce, and increased demand for services, there was a shortage of healthcare workers. According to ManpowerGroup, three-quarters (75%) of employers are not able to fill job vacancies, the responsible factors could be talent shortage, a skills gap, and the Great Resignation.

Temporary Healthcare Staffing Market Insights, By End-Users- Growing Patient Loads is driving the Hospitals and Clinics Segment Growth

The hospital and clinics segment is expected to contribute the highest share in 2025, owing to the fluctuating patient loads, staffing shortage and the need for staff flexibility. Hospitals and clinics require temporary healthcare staffing to ensure efficient and effective delivery of patient care, maintain safety standards and improve the overall patient experience.

In March 2024, AAG Health announced that it is enhancing its healthcare staffing and consulting by connecting healthcare institutions with highly skilled professionals. The company aims to go beyond filling positions and offering strategic workforce solutions tailored to evolving needs of the healthcare providers.

Regional Insights

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North America

Temporary Healthcare Staffing Market Trends

North America is expected to be the largest market for temporary healthcare staffing during the forecast period, accounting for over 43.7% of the market share in 2025. North America has established itself as the dominant region in the global temporary healthcare staffing market. This can largely be attributed to the well-developed healthcare infrastructure and rising demand for quality healthcare services across major countries like the U.S. With the growing geriatric population and increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, there is heavy reliance on temporary staffing services to effectively manage the workforce demand and costs. Several large organizations in this region have also outgrown their permanent hiring capacities, favouring flexibility offered by temporary staffing agencies.

There are approximately 40 healthcare staffing firms in the United States with at least $50 million in revenue. Altogether, these 40 firms make up to 70% of the U.S. market for healthcare-related temporary help services. The top ten firms include AMN Healthcare, Cross Country Healthcare, CHG Healthcare, Jackson Healthcare and Aya Healthcare.

  Asia Pacific Temporary Healthcare Staffing Market Trends

Asia Pacific is expected to be the second-largest market for temporary healthcare staffing market, accounting for over 25.2% of the market share in 2025. Asia Pacific has emerged as the fastest-growing regional market, fueled by rapid economic expansion, and growing medical tourism, for instance in March 2025, a team behind the new Medical Tourism Special Economic Zone in Bali’s Sanur is promising to become the biggest medical tourism destination in Asia, the aim is to reduce the number of Indonesian medical tourist who go abroad for treatment. To date, about 2-3 million people every year are heading abroad for treatment with a foreign exchange value of IDR 97 trillion. Universal healthcare initiatives in nations such as India, China, Singapore, and South Korea. While the cost of permanent healthcare employment is significant, there is a burgeoning demand for affordably-priced quality services. This provides scope for temporary staffing agencies that can flexibly deploy cost-effective personnel according to seasonal/project-based needs.

United States Temporary Healthcare Staffing Market Trends

The United States is dominating the temporary healthcare staffing market in North America. The country is booming due to the robust healthcare infrastructure, the U.S. excels in cutting-edge treatments, medical innovation, and research. There is also a rising demand for healthcare services due to the aging population, the high cost of technology and services, and the increasing demand for specialized care. According to IBISWorld, the United States consists of around 2,927 businesses in the healthcare staff recruitment agencies industry, among which Aya Healthcare is considered the largest provider of healthcare staffing software and services.

These healthcare agencies manage and hold data of over 22 million workers, among which there are 80% women in the healthcare workforce.

China Temporary Healthcare Staffing Market Trends

China is leading the temporary healthcare staffing in the Asia Pacific region. It is primarily driven by its extensive health infrastructure, China being the largest developing country in the world consists of 36,570 hospitals and 977,790 primary-level clinics. There is a growing demand for nursing professions. According to the National Institute of Health, China aims to have around 5.5 million nurses and the number of registered nurses per 1,00 people is estimated to increase to 3.8. Government initiative to improve healthcare services where China is currently working in ‘Healthy China 2030, the aim is to improve healthcare service and financial coverage across the country.

Market Report Scope

Temporary Healthcare Staffing Market Report Coverage

Key Developments

• In February 2025, TrueBlue Inc. a leading provider of specialized workforce solutions, introduced the off-market acquisition of high-growth Healthcare Staffing Professionals, Inc., a long-term temporary and permanent staffing solution provider. The acquisition aims to expand the long-term clients combined with our expansive footprint, technology and recruitment agility will allow us to realize significant expansion and revenue opportunities.
• In June 2024, the Accreditation Commission for Health Care(ACHC) of Cary, North Carolina, launched its new Healthcare Staffing Services Certification. ACHC certification verifies that processes and policies meet recognized standards for temporary staffing placements to ensure patient safety and excellence in care delivery
• In September 2024, Jackson Healthcare launched, Jackson HealthPros^TM, it serves the national allied health staffing market with a focus on speciality areas that include imaging, radiology, laboratory, respiratory therapy and surgery.

• On September 8, 2023, Acacium Group, a global healthcare and life science delivery partner with services and staffing operations across the U.S., the U.K., Europe, Asia Pacific, and Australia, announced that it had acquired Sumo Medical Staffing, a specialist locum tenens agency in the U.S. The acquisition helped Acacium Group gain a substantially larger presence across the U.S., expanding the staffing offering to clients and strengthening the company’s position as a leading global healthcare delivery partner.

Analyst Opinion (Expert Opinion)

• In North America and Europe, the increasing demand for geriatric care is one of the most significant contributors to the rise in temporary staffing needs. The need for 24/7 care in long-term care facilities has forced healthcare systems to lean heavily on temporary nurses and home health aides. In fact, with the aging baby boomer population, the demand for elderly care in these regions is expected to grow by 30% over the next decade, necessitating a steady influx of temporary workers.
• Similarly, rising chronic conditions like diabetes and cancer in Asia-Pacific are driving a surge in the need for temporary specialists, particularly in oncology and endocrinology. This demand is pushing up premium staffing rates. For example, the oncology department in Singapore’s Tan Tock Seng Hospital had to double its temporary oncologist staffing in 2024 due to increased patient load and doctor shortages.
• The ongoing nurse strikes in the U.S., triggered by unsustainable staffing ratios and wages, are forcing hospitals to spend up to 40% more on emergency temporary contracts. The 2024-2025 nurse strikes in California, for instance, have left many hospitals scrambling to maintain operations, prompting significant short-term expenditure. Hospitals are now relying on staffing agencies for last-minute hires, driving up prices for temporary staff in critical care units.

Market Segmentation:

• Global Temporary Healthcare Staffing Market, By Type
  • Physician Staffing
  • Per Diem Nurse Staffing
  • Travel Nurse Staffing
  • Allied Healthcare Staffing
    • Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians Staffing
    • Therapists and Rehabilitation Professionals Staffing
    • Other Clinical Professionals Staffing
• Global Temporary Healthcare Staffing Market, By Application
  • Staffing Gaps
  • Seasonal Demand
  • Emergencies
  • Temporary Project Support
  • Crisis Response Teams
  • Telemedicine and Remote Care
  • Others (Healthcare IT Management, etc.)
• Global Temporary Healthcare Staffing Market, By End User
  • Hospitals & Clinics
  • Nursing Homes
  • Ambulatory Surgical Centers
  • Hospice Care Centers
  • Government Healthcare Facilities
  • Rehabilitation Centers
  • Others (Assisted Living Facilities, Home Healthcare Agencies etc.)
• Global Temporary Healthcare Staffing Market, By Region
  • North America
  • Latin America
  • Europe
  • Asia Pacific
  • Middle East
  • Africa
• Top Companies in the Global Temporary Healthcare Staffing Market:
  • SOLIANT HEALTH
  • Envision Healthcare
  • Maxim Healthcare Services
  • CHG Management, Inc.
  • Cross Country Healthcare
  • TeamHealth
  • Jackson Healthcare
  • LocumTenens
  • Trustaff
  • Aya Healthcare
  • Vibra Healthcare
  • Ample Healthcare
  • Acacium Group
  • SnapNurse
  • AMN Healthcare
  • BrightStar Care
  • Triage Staffing

Sources:

Primary Research Interviews from the following stakeholders:

Stakeholders:

• Interviews with hospital administrators, healthcare HR professionals, staffing agency executives, and industry experts specializing in temporary staffing services and workforce management.
• Specific stakeholders: Nurse managers, hospital CEOs, healthcare staffing coordinators, and workforce planning analysts.

Databases:

• PubMed
• ClinicalTrials.gov
• HealthData.gov

Magazines:

• MedTech Insight
• Healthcare Technology News
• Medical Device and Diagnostic Industry (MD+DI)
• HealthTech Magazine

Journals:

• Journal of Healthcare Management
• Health Services Research
• Journal of Nursing Administration (JONA)
• Healthcare: The Journal of Delivery Science and Innovation

Newspapers:

• The New York Times
• The Guardian
• The Wall Street Journal
• Financial Times
• The Washington Post

Associations:

• American Hospital Association (AHA)
• National Association of Travel Healthcare Organizations (NATHO)
• American Nurses Association (ANA)
• Healthcare Staffing Services (HSS) – a section of The Joint Commission
• Association for Health Care Resource & Materials Management (AHRMM)

Public Domain Sources:

• World Health Organization (WHO)
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
• National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Proprietary Elements:

CMI Data Analytics Tool, and Proprietary CMI Existing Repository of information for last 8 years

*Definition: Temporary healthcare staffing provides hospitals, clinics, and other medical facilities with flexible workforce solutions to meet their changing needs. There are generally two main types of temporary staffing arrangements: temporary and contract staffing. Temporary staffing involves hiring clinical or support personnel for a defined short-term assignment, usually to fill a vacancy or handle a temporary rise in patient volume. Contract staffing places medical professionals like nurses, therapists, or technicians for longer assignments, often ranging from a few months to a couple of years.