The Care Home Jobs Crisis: 111,000 Vacancies and a Workforce in Peril

If you are looking for a job in care, you are entering a sector that desperately needs you. There are currently 111,000 vacant posts in adult social care across England. The vacancy rate stands at 7.0%, three times higher than the wider UK economy. While this represents an improvement from the peak of 10.5% in 2021/22, it tells a story of opportunity for those willing to step into care work.

But here is what the numbers do not tell you: why British workers are leaving faster than they can be replaced, and what this means for someone considering a career in care. New data from Skills for Care reveals a troubling trend. The number of posts filled by British nationals has decreased by 30,000 in 2024/25 alone, and by 85,000 since 2020/21. At the same time, international recruitment has plummeted from 105,000 new starters in 2023/24 to just 50,000 in 2024/25. With care workers and senior care workers set to be removed from the Health and Care Worker visa route in July 2025, the sector faces an existential challenge: how to recruit 470,000 additional workers by 2040 when domestic recruitment is failing and international routes are closing.

Key Statistics

• 111,000 job vacancies across adult social care in England
• 7.0% vacancy rate, three times higher than the wider economy (2.3%)
• 30,000 fewer British nationals working in care compared to last year
• 470,000 additional workers needed by 2040 to meet demand
• 50,000 international recruits in 2024/25, down from 105,000 the previous year
• 1.71 million total care jobs in England, with 1.60 million currently filled

The Regional Picture

The crisis is not evenly distributed. London faces the highest vacancy rate at 10.5%, while the North East has the lowest at 6.3%. Domiciliary care settings report significantly higher vacancy challenges (10.1%) compared to residential care homes (4.1% for care homes without nursing, 4.7% for care homes with nursing).

This regional variation matters if you are looking for work. In London, where the cost of living is highest and competition for workers is fiercest, care homes struggle to fill one in ten positions. This means more opportunities, but also higher living costs. Meanwhile, the North East, despite having the lowest vacancy rate, still faces significant challenges in recruiting and retaining staff. The question is not just where the jobs are, but where you can build a sustainable career.

Why British Workers Are Leaving

If you are considering a career in care, you need to understand why so many British workers are leaving. The answer is not simple, but it matters because it affects what you can expect when you enter the sector.

Between 2022 and 2025, 230,000 people joined the adult social care workforce from outside the UK, providing much-needed stability during a period of acute workforce shortages. But changes to immigration rules in March and April 2024 have decimated this pipeline. The salary threshold for Health and Care Worker visas was increased, dependants were no longer able to accompany care workers, and only CQC-regulated employers could sponsor new recruits. The result: international recruitment fell by 52% in a single year.

In July 2025, the situation will worsen further. Care workers and senior care workers will be removed from the Health and Care Worker visa route for new overseas recruits entirely. Transitional arrangements will allow those already in the UK to continue working until July 2028, but the tap for new international recruits will effectively be turned off.

This policy change comes at a time when the sector needs workers most. The number of British nationals in the workforce has fallen by 85,000 since 2020/21, representing a 7% decline. The proportion of British workers has dropped from 84.6% in 2019/20 to just 70.8% in 2024/25, while non-EU workers have increased from 8.3% to 23.6% over the same period.

What this means for you: the sector is becoming more dependent on British workers at exactly the moment when British workers are leaving. This creates opportunity, but also pressure. The jobs are there, but the conditions need to improve.

What You Need to Know About Pay and Conditions

If you are entering care work, you need to understand the reality of pay and conditions. This is not about discouraging you. It is about helping you make an informed decision.

Pay remains a fundamental issue. The average care worker's pay is only 2% higher than the National Living Wage, leaving little room for real-terms growth. When retail and logistics offer higher entry pay than social care, experienced care workers are drained away, and new recruits are difficult to attract. This means you may start on minimum wage, but there is potential for progression if you find the right employer.

Working conditions vary widely. 22% of the workforce in the West Midlands are on zero-hours contracts, a pattern repeated across the country. The sector's turnover rate, while improving to 24.7% in 2024/25, remains high. Younger workers experience the highest turnover across all age groups, with many leaving within their first few months. But this also means that if you stay, you become valuable quickly.

Skills gaps create opportunity. According to the Department of Health and Social Care's workforce skills survey, 46% of providers found it difficult to recruit individuals with the necessary skills in the last 12 months. 84.7% of those who experienced difficulties said it was somewhat or very challenging to recruit for direct care roles with the right skills. If you have good communication skills, empathy, and a willingness to learn, you are in demand.

The Reality of Underfunding

The recruitment crisis is not happening in isolation. It is the direct result of decades of underfunding that has made care work unattractive compared to other sectors. But understanding this helps you navigate the job market.

When commissioners set rates that fall short of legal wage costs, providers are forced into impossible choices: pay below the National Living Wage, exit the market, or rely on international workers who may accept lower pay and poorer conditions. The Homecare Association's research shows that 30% of local authorities are paying rates so low they force providers into illegal non-compliance with minimum wage laws.

This creates a vicious cycle. Low pay drives high turnover. High turnover increases recruitment costs. Increased recruitment costs further squeeze margins. Providers cannot invest in training, development, or better working conditions. The sector becomes less attractive to domestic workers, creating greater reliance on international recruitment, which is now being systematically closed off.

What this means for you: look for employers who invest in their staff. Ask about training opportunities, career progression, and support. The best employers understand that retention is cheaper than constant recruitment.

The Long-Term Opportunity

Skills for Care's workforce projections paint a picture of long-term opportunity. If the adult social care workforce is to grow proportionally to the projected number of people aged 65 and over, the sector will need 470,000 additional posts by 2040. This represents a 27% increase from current levels, bringing the total to 2.17 million posts.

This projection does not account for replacing leavers, which will add significantly to the challenge. With a current turnover rate of 24.7%, the sector must recruit not just to grow, but to replace the quarter of the workforce that leaves each year.

The question is: where will these workers come from? Domestic recruitment is failing. International routes are closing. The sector cannot rely on goodwill and low margins to attract 470,000 new workers over the next 15 years.

What this means for you: if you enter care work now and stay, you become part of a shrinking pool of experienced workers. This creates opportunity for career progression, but also pressure. The sector needs people who will commit long-term.

What Skills Do You Need?

The recruitment challenge is compounded by a skills gap crisis, but this creates opportunity for the right candidates. The Department of Health and Social Care's workforce skills survey reveals that 80.6% of providers see skills gaps in direct care worker roles, while 37.6% see gaps in management roles.

The most difficult skills to recruit for include:

• Interpersonal and communication skills (63.2% of providers struggling)
• English skills (47.1%)
• Leadership and innovation (63.3% for management roles)
• Data, technology and digital skills (45.3% for management roles)

If you have good communication skills, empathy, and a willingness to learn, you are in demand. The sector needs people who can build relationships with residents, communicate clearly with families, and work as part of a team. These are not skills you need formal qualifications for. They are skills you develop through experience.

These skills gaps have real impacts. 28.2% of providers report reduced quality of care. 25.8% face increased financial burden. 23.3% experience high staff turnover or retention challenges. 22.7% rely more heavily on temporary or agency staff. But for you, this means that if you can demonstrate these skills, you become valuable quickly.

How to Succeed in Care Work

Recruitment is only half the battle. Retention remains one of the sector's toughest challenges, with many workers leaving within their first few months. But understanding why people leave helps you succeed.

Evidence from the West Midlands International Recruitment Programme shows that structured onboarding, regular supervision, and peer mentoring can significantly improve retention. Providers who invested in these supports achieved higher retention rates and greater workforce satisfaction.

However, the sector-wide picture is less positive. The turnover rate for internationally recruited care workers (25.9%) is significantly lower than for domestically recruited workers (38.9%), suggesting that structured support and onboarding, which international workers often receive, can make a real difference.

The challenge is extending this support to all workers. 81.8% of providers cite the cost of training as a barrier to investment in skills development. 55.9% cite time for training. Without investment in retention, the sector will continue to haemorrhage workers faster than it can recruit them.

What this means for you: look for employers who offer structured onboarding, regular supervision, and peer mentoring. Ask about training opportunities and career progression. The best employers understand that investing in staff pays off. If you find an employer who invests in you, you are more likely to succeed and progress.

What This Means for You

The care home jobs crisis is not inevitable. It is the result of policy choices that have systematically undervalued care work and failed to invest in the workforce. But for you, this creates both opportunity and challenge.

If you are considering a career in care, here is what you need to know:

1. The jobs are there. With 111,000 vacancies, you will find opportunities. But not all employers are equal. Look for providers who invest in their staff, offer training, and provide structured support.

2. Pay is improving, but slowly. The Fair Pay Agreement is coming, but it may take time. Expect to start on or near minimum wage, but look for employers who offer progression opportunities.

3. Skills matter more than qualifications. Good communication, empathy, and a willingness to learn are more valuable than formal qualifications. If you can demonstrate these, you are in demand.

4. Retention is key. The sector needs people who will stay. If you commit long-term, you become valuable quickly. Look for employers who invest in retention through training, support, and career progression.

5. The sector is changing. International recruitment is closing, creating more opportunity for British workers. But this also means more pressure. The sector needs people who can step up.

The 111,000 vacancies are not just numbers on a spreadsheet. They represent 111,000 opportunities to provide quality care that are going unfilled. They represent 111,000 reasons why the sector cannot meet current demand, let alone future need. And they represent an opportunity for you to enter a sector that desperately needs committed, skilled workers.

If you are considering a career in care, the opportunity is there. But success depends on finding the right employer, developing the right skills, and committing long-term. The sector needs you, but it also needs you to be prepared for the challenges ahead.

Key Data Summary

Methodology

This analysis is based on Skills for Care's "Size and Structure of the Adult Social Care Sector and Workforce in England 2025" report, which provides the most comprehensive data on the adult social care workforce. The report uses data from the Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set (ASC-WDS), covering more than 700,000 people in over 20,000 locations.

Additional data comes from the Department of Health and Social Care's "Adult Social Care Workforce Skills Survey: September 2025" report, which surveyed 3,058 adult social care providers on skills needs, recruitment challenges, and barriers to investment.

Regional vacancy data is based on Skills for Care's regional breakdowns, with London showing the highest vacancy rate (10.5%) and the North East showing the lowest (6.3%). The map visualisation uses estimated vacancy rates by region based on Skills for Care's published data and regional workforce intelligence.

All statistics are from 2024/25 unless otherwise stated. The date of analysis is 29 November 2025.