ASCP Survey Shows Overall Decline in Vacancy Rates

Overall vacancy rates for clinical laboratory personnel appear to be declining, according to the American Society for Clinical Pathology’s 2012 Vacancy Survey of Clinical Laboratories. Across the nation, the vacancy rate was highest for phlebotomy departments (8 percent) and lowest for cytogenetics, histology, and immunology departments, as well as laboratory safety personnel (4 percent each). Specimen processing (14 percent) had the highest overall supervisory vacancy rate. The total vacancy rate for anatomic pathology is 7 percent, with the nonsupervisory vacancy rate at 7 percent, and the supervisory vacancy rate at 2 percent. Compared with other departments in the survey, AP has a low percentage (2 percent) of positions anticipated to become open within six months of when the survey was performed. According to survey findings, immunology and chemistry/toxicology departments have the highest overall percentage (10 percent) of employees expected to retire in the next 24 months. Cytogenetics and phlebotomy have the lowest rate of employees expected to retire in the next 24 months (4 percent). The staff retirement rate is highest in the immunology department (10 percent) and lowest in the phlebotomy department (3 percent). The supervisor retirement rate is highest in the hematology/coagulation department (24 percent) and lowest in […]