Increasing unemployment rate amongst health professionals: Will there be jobs for newly graduated South African audiologists post-COVID-19?
Vera-Genevey Hlayisi
PMID 35924610WHAT IT FOUND
Up to 16% of South African audiologists were unemployed in their first year post-graduation, rising to 19% in the second year.
Barriers included limited job posts, discrimination, and experience requirements. This describes workforce gaps, not patient outcomes.
Key findings
01Unemployment among audiologists was 16% in the first year post-graduation and increased to 19% in the second year.
02Limited job opportunities were the most frequently reported reason for unemployment among second-year graduates.
03Barriers to employment included geographic distance, discrimination, language requirements, and lack of experience.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study used snowball sampling, which may introduce bias towards participants within the researcher's network. The response rate was low relative to the number of audiologists in the country (132 complete responses out of an estimated 1175-2205 registered professionals). The cross-sectional design provides a snapshot in time and cannot predict long-term employment trends. The study focused on audiologists, not speech-language pathologists, limiting direct applicability to SLP workforce issues.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the unemployment rates as evidence of a general shortage of speech-language pathologists or as a finding applicable to patient care. This survey describes the job market for audiologists only, and the low response rate means it may not represent all newly qualified audiologists in South Africa.