Michigan healthcare workforce shortages 2026 Index

Serious students of state health policy will probably recognize the Snyder era "Prosperity Regions" used to carve up industry market share and state bureaucratic build-out. For a refresher, see page 4 of MHC's full 66-page Michigan Healthcare Workforce Shortages Report PDF.

The Michigan Health Council, founded 1944, delivers healthcare workforce research and deep analysis to academic institutions, healthcare organizations, government agencies, and policymakers. The MHC Index is funded by the Michigan Health Endowment Fund.

Trigger warning: MHC utilizes racist themes such as DEI and SDOH in this Index and its work elsewhere.

The benefit of this index is that it goes beyond federal HPSA data. However, AI-skewed job postings, if used to calculate shortages, may produce seriously flawed results. MHC details methodology on pg 5. Another source posted in the comment below may provide contrast. 

The summary as copied below omits insightful graphs that should be viewed in the original.

https://www.mhc.org/index

Michigan Healthcare Workforce Index

The Michigan Healthcare Workforce Index is a comprehensive index that assesses the “health” of 36 healthcare occupations and occupational categories in Michigan. Combining data from Lightcast, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), MHC Insight was able to systematically rank healthcare occupations on four inputs - growth, wage, shortage, and turnover - to determine how each occupation is faring in our economy. ​

​The Index is designed to help Michigan stakeholders move from reviewing workforce data to developing an effective workforce strategy.

2026 Index Key Findings

All 36 occupations show lower projected growth compared to the 2025 Index. Lower growth threatens access to care.

Nearly all occupations show significantly higher turnover, reinforcing the need for continued retention strategies and careful interpretation of this year’s turnover data.

Nearly all occupations are projected to face a workforce shortage by 2035. Eight Index occupations are projected to experience a surplus, although statewide surpluses may still mask regional distribution challenges.

An aging workforce and aging population have significant impacts on projected shortages, especially in occupations that care for older adults.

Increasing compensation is an important strategy in growing the overall healthcare workforce, but lowering educational costs may have a greater impact.

The Behavioral Health workforce needs to be strengthened to meet population health needs.

Career pathway expansion for high-growth, low-wage occupations can bolster the overall healthcare workforce.

Occupational Ranking Highlights

The Dentist Group ranks first overall in the 2026 Index.
Pharmacy Technicians rank last overall.
Some Advanced Practitioner occupations now rank in the bottom third, including Optometrists and Pharmacists.
Shifts in job responsibilities (actual or expected) among provider groups are impacting the growth of occupations, especially Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants, and Pharmacy Technicians.

How to Use the Index

The Index is designed to help Michigan stakeholders move from reviewing workforce data to developing an effective workforce strategy. Employers can use it to compare retention, demand, and wage pressure across roles to refine staffing strategies and recruitment efforts. Educators can align programs and pathways with projected shortages, helping students prepare for success and meet employer and population health needs. Policymakers and funders can identify where investment may address some of the deficiencies in our healthcare system and offer the greatest opportunity to improve community health. Workforce development organizations can connect regional priorities to statewide trends and identify further opportunities. Professional associations can use the findings to support advocacy, recruitment, and retention strategies.

These are all examples of possible uses of the Index, and the additional benefit of being a data resource to support prioritization decisions and applications for funding, as well as giving recognition to workforce conditions for various occupations, is part of the MHC mission to ensure the future of the healthcare workforce.

Impact of an Aging Workforce

Some of the Index occupations with the highest projected growth, including PTs, PTAs, OTs, OTAs, and HHAs, indicate an increasing need for these professionals as the population ages. According to BLS data, these occupations are all significantly employed by nursing care facilities, continuing care retirement communities/assisted living facilities for the elderly, or home health care services. These occupations, while growing, are also projected to face shortages. HHAs rank last in Shortage on the Index. CNAs rank second-to-last in Shortage and are primarily employed by skilled nursing facilities. These settings all primarily provide healthcare to aging adults, signaling an urgent need for retention and professional development efforts to bolster occupations that are particularly critical for sustaining long-term care.

Further straining the healthcare workforce—beyond the aging population that needs care—are retirements and reduced hours among the aging workforce providing care. Nearly a quarter (23 percent) of healthcare workers in Michigan are 55 and older. The Dentist Group, the Physician Group, HHAs, the Psychologist Group, and Nurse Anesthetists are the “oldest” occupations, with 34.7, 29.9, 28.0, 28.0, and 26.0 percent aged 55 and older, respectively (see below). In the 2025 Michigan Survey of Nurses, 36.6 percent of RNs and 36.3 percent of LPNs reported planning to leave nursing within ten years, citing retirement as their main reason. There is also some evidence that certain healthcare workers, including Physicians, are retiring earlier. This may particularly impact rural areas, where Physicians already tend to be older.

Demographics

While the Michigan labor force is evenly split by sex, females comprise a significantly higher percentage of healthcare occupations, representing 81.4 percent of the industry. Some healthcare occupations with higher earnings, like Optometrists and Pharmacists, are split relatively evenly by sex, while males make up a larger percentage of some of those occupations, including some Physician specialties and dentistry. In Michigan, 41 percent of active Physicians are female. Conversely, in medical schools, female students constitute a larger proportion of total enrollment than males. In the 2024-2025 academic year, active medical residents were split 50-50 between males and females, the first time males were not a larger proportion of residents. The majority of lower-earning occupations have a significantly higher percentage of females.

Racial and ethnic breakdowns between all Michigan occupations and Michigan healthcare occupations are relatively similar, with healthcare occupations having a slightly more diverse workforce. The racial and ethnic diversity of the healthcare workforce overall is similar to Michigan’s racial and ethnic diversity across the state; however, lower-earning occupations are also more racially and ethnically diverse.

Conclusion

Overall, the 2026 Index shows a healthcare workforce under sustained pressure. The healthcare workforce in Michigan is experiencing some improvements, such as continued wage growth, job growth across many occupations, and reduced shortages in some occupations. However, challenges persist. Increased wages can still be relatively low when compared to occupations with similar training; job growth may not align with positions that are needed most to impact care quality and access; projected shortages persist across much of the workforce; and high turnover rates highlight the continued need for retention efforts. With an aging population and an aging healthcare workforce, it is essential for Michigan to continue developing strategies to strengthen healthcare occupation pipelines, recruit new providers to practice in Michigan, and retain existing employees. For additional insight on data-driven solutions to our state's healthcare workforce challenges, see MHC’s Michigan Healthcare Workforce Plan.

​Additional Data & Research

A full data appendix for the 2026 Michigan Healthcare Workforce Index is available upon request, which details the data used to rank each occupation.

The Index presents statewide findings, but workforce conditions can vary considerably across Michigan. Organizations interested in understanding these differences may engage MHC Insight to conduct a customized regional analysis. Depending on your needs, this work can examine specific geographic areas, occupations, or workforce questions to support local planning, investment, and collaboration. Contact MHC to discuss data needs and project scope.