Here’s an unusual story out of Texas which seems to defy all the conventional wisdom about employment trends and wages. The local press has noticed that nursing homes are having trouble filling the health care jobs at their facilities these days. That’s particularly curious when you consider that healthcare has consistently been one of the fastest growing job markets in the country for several years now. So where are all of the trained healthcare workers who would normally fill those jobs? It seems that an increasing number of them have packed it in and left for jobs flipping burgers. (KXAN News)
Some nurses and staff are quitting their jobs at Texas nursing homes for more money working at McDonald’s.
Advocates say it is a trend they are seeing state-wide causing a nursing shortage at long-term facilities. The Housing Appropriations Committee has been listening to advocates about the growing problem.
Texas has one of the lowest Medicaid reimbursement rates, which makes it difficult for nursing homes and service providers to offer competitive wages.
“You know, you can start off at McDonald’s at $13-$14 an hour in some cases, you could certainly find easier jobs for more money and that’s a real problem when you’re trying to keep good people in your facilities,” said Scott Kibbe with the Texas Health Care Association.
Source: In Texas, health care workers quit jobs to work at McDonald’s HOTAIR