Hospitals paying $24 billion more for labor during pandemic, use of staffing firms up by 132% (Premier)

Hospitals are paying $24 billion more for labor and their use of staffing firms is up 132% for full-time workers and 131% for part-time workers, according to a post by Premier Inc., a publicly traded healthcare industry technology and consulting firm. Clinical labor costs are up by an average of 8% per patient day when compared to 2019 — translating to $17 million in additional annual labor expenses for the average 500-bed hospital.