The market for pharma/life sciences talent is very tight and demand is projected to continue as hiring activity remains robust. In June 2019, the unemployment rate for science talent in the U.S. was 1.4% and the unemployment rate for healthcare talent was 1.5%, less than half of the overall U.S. unemployment rate of 3.7%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“Tight job markets demand that organizations become more agile and nimble with talent,” says Allison Kerska, vice president, Life Sciences Integrated Operations, Kelly OCG, a leading advisor of talent supply chain strategies and workforce solutions. “On top of that, individuals today continue to embrace a variety of different work styles geared to enhance flexibility and maximize their career potential.”
Over the past five years, employment in the U.S. pharma/life sciences industry grew by 11% and employment in the healthcare industry grew by 10%, faster than overall U.S. job growth of 9%, according to Emsi: Labor Market Analytics. Over the next five years, employment in the U.S. pharma/life sciences industry is projected to grow by 9% and employment in the healthcare industry is projected to grow by 11%, faster than projected overall U.S. job growth of 6%. Employment in the biotechnology space is projected to grow by 24% over the next five years.
To help meet the challenge of a changing workforce, we asked experts to share their opinions on the skills you should look for in a potential employee. Here’s what they said.
