Published November 2021 and kept as a record. The figures and the law have moved on since it was written. For the current position see UK skills shortages in 2026. Note added 21 October 2026.
More than 100,000 vacancies in England's debilitated social care sector have been created as part of Boris Johnson's government's massive recruitment campaign.
The government is using TV and social media to tell the public "now is the best time to be a care worker" to stem the sector's dire staffing shortages. The 'Made With Care' ads will run for five months as part of the Department for Health and Social Care's (DHSC) effort to attract people to a "demanding and rewarding" career in the health sector.
Healthcare providers say that they have reached a "breaking point", with some unable to provide safe care because of the severe shortage of workers.
Care Quality Commission says many workers are leaving for higher-paying jobs in hospitality and tourism and warns that recruitment and retention is in a “deteriorating” position. Experts in the sector say burnout, low and unfair pay levels, and the requirement that care home staff get vaccinated against Covid all push staff to leave.
The number of available positions has increased steadily since May and is now above pre-pandemic levels. Skills for Care's latest annual report also shows that turnover was high, at 28.5%, translating to about 410,000 people leaving.
Care home leaders have called on the government to remove the visa restrictions on low-paid foreign workers after Brexit to help ease the crisis following a rise in the number of EU workers leaving to return home.
As part of reforms to health and social care funding announced in September, the government will invest £5.4bn in social care between 2022-23 and 2024-25. This includes a £500m workforce fund and a further 162.5m fund to help recruit and retain social care staff.
Meanwhile, Carers UK research found that three out of ten unpaid carers struggle to pay their bills. While struggling with rising living costs, thousands of families across the country are pushed into poverty, says the charity.
According to the charity's latest survey, The State Of Caring 2021, more than half of unpaid carers (52%) feel anxious or stressed about their finances. Three out of ten (31 per cent) are struggling to make ends meet.