One in 5 chief human resources officers across industries expect hiring to slow in the next six months. This is nearly twice the share who anticipated pullback in 2024, according to a Q2 Conference Board survey of more than 100 leaders. What is the outlook at hospitals and health systems? Hiring has remained steady at Fort Myers, Fla.-based Lee Health throughout 2025, and Chief People Officer Mike Wukitsch, PhD, expects momentum to continue — if not accelerate — through the end of the year.

“We are in a high growth market, and we continue to need staff to serve our community to help meet those market needs,” Dr. Wukitsch told Becker’s. Lee Health recruits in state and nationally, monitoring economic indicators such as interest rates, cost of living and labor force participation. “Cost of

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