Hawaii Healthcare Job Vacancies Fall to 11%
Unfilled healthcare positions statewide dropped 20% between 2024 and 2026, according to the Healthcare Association of Hawaiʻi.
Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Nursing Jobs
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The Healthcare Association of Hawaiʻi reported 3,739 open healthcare positions statewide in 2026, out of 34,001 healthcare profession jobs surveyed. The statewide healthcare vacancy rate fell from 14% to 11% between 2024 and 2026, with open non-physician positions decreasing 20%.
Why it matters
Fewer open positions across Hawaiʻi suggest that investments in training for high-priority healthcare jobs are beginning to fill gaps in the state's workforce. Demand is expected to keep growing as the population ages and new facilities open.
The survey found 3,739 unfilled healthcare jobs out of 34,001 surveyed, a 930-position drop from 2024. Oʻahu's vacancy rate fell from 12% to 10%, while Lānaʻi's rose to 33% with 20 open positions.
The players
Healthcare Association of Hawaiʻi
A statewide organization that conducts a biennial survey of healthcare vacancies and uses the data to guide which training programs receive investment.
The details
Collaborative efforts by the state, universities and private partners invested in training opportunities for high-priority healthcare jobs. Nineteen high schools statewide, including eight on the neighbor islands, now offer a healthcare certificate program, and over 400 participating students were employed after graduation.
Timeline
2024: Baseline year for the vacancy comparison in the biennial report.
2026: Healthcare Association of Hawaiʻi survey of 34,001 healthcare jobs.
Workforce Trajectory
The Healthcare Association of Hawaiʻi's biennial survey is the baseline that shows the 2024-to-2026 decline in vacancies. Projections that one in four residents will be over 65 by 2035 indicate demand will grow even as current vacancies shrink.
Healthcare workers and job seekers in Hawaiʻi are seeing more openings filled, and certificate programs at high schools now offer a direct route into roles like medical laboratory work. Residents on Lānaʻi still face a 33% vacancy rate, which may affect local access to care.
The takeaway
Students and career changers interested in healthcare in Hawaiʻi can look to high school certificate programs, where more than 400 participants have found employment after graduation. Rising demand from an aging population makes these pathways increasingly relevant.
Further reading
Explore more on Nursing Jobs for context on healthcare workforce openings.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Honolulu Civil Beat.
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