Template-Type: ReDIF-Paper 1.0
Author-Name: Julia Darby
Author-Name-First: Julia
Author-Name-Last: Darby
Author-Email: julia.darby@strath.ac.uk
Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Economics, University of Strathclyde
Author-Name: Graeme  Roy
Author-Name-First: Graeme 
Author-Name-Last: Roy
Author-Name: Stuart McIntyre
Author-Name-First: Stuart
Author-Name-Last: McIntyre
Author-Email: s.mcintyre@strath.ac.uk
Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Economics, University of Strathclyde
Title: The sticking plasters aren’t working: the  ongoing UK workforce crisis in adult social  care, new evidence from an expansive  database of job advertisements.
Abstract: We shed new light on the longstanding challenge of recruiting adult social care (ASC) workers 
through innovative textual analysis of an extensive database of job advertisements. Having 
confirmed the low pay offered, we provide a first systematic evaluation of two recent strategies 
employed in ASC recruitment, starting with a look at signing bonuses. While a short-lived burst 
of generous signing bonuses is shown to have helped alleviate acute shortages in some 
occupations, their use in ASC involves far smaller sums and record unfilled vacancies persist. 
The UK government’s recent decision to offer visas to migrant workers coming to work in ASC 
is also found lacking. Few advertised roles are found to exceed the required salary threshold. 
This evidence adds weight to calls for significant government action, including long overdue 
funding reforms. Without this, unmet care needs will continue to grow, as will consequential 
problems within the UK’s National Health Service.
Length:  pages
Creation-Date: 
Revision-Date: 2023-02
Publication-Status: 
File-URL: https://www.strath.ac.uk/media/1newwebsite/departmentsubject/economics/research/researchdiscussionpapers/23-14_workforce_crisis.pdf
File-Format: Application/pdf
Number: 2301
Classification-JEL: 
Keywords: adult social care, job advertisements, recruitment, shortage occupations, signing bonuses,  textual analysis.
Handle: RePEc:str:wpaper:2301