Data last updated October 23, 2025

The metric: Average agency caregiver growth since March 2025.

How we measure it: For each agency in our dataset, we examine the change in the number of caregivers since February 2025. We then average the rate of change across all agencies and look at it on a monthly basis.

Why we measure it: We think it’s important to understand caregiver growth trends to assess the overall health of the workforce and identify periods of expansion or decline. Tracking this metric helps agencies and industry leaders recognize where and when growth is happening, identify potential challenges in caregiver recruitment and retention, and develop strategies to sustain a stable and growing caregiver workforce.

💡This month’s takeaway: September’s average agency caregiver growth stands at -1.2%, declining from August’s 0% and steeping into negative territory, continuing a concerning trend that began with July at 0.8%. The three-month deterioration from positive to flat to negative growth signals an accelerating workforce contraction. While August’s stabilization at zero growth initially suggested potential plateauing, September’s decline underscores the urgent need for agencies to prioritize enhanced recruitment initiatives and strengthened retention programs to reverse these staffing challenges.