Last Updated on July 28, 2026

The latest State of the Adult Social Care Sector and Workforce in England shows that the workforce grew and vacancies fell for a second year. 1.71 million posts were filled and vacancies fell to 131,000 on any given day. In addition, 24.2% of people working in care left their jobs in 2023/24. Among independent and local authority employers – for whom records go back the furthest – the turnover rate fell to below one in four (24.8%) for the first time since 2014/15, down from 29.1% the previous year.

The number of men working in the female-dominated sector reached a record high, with men accounting for 21% of the workforce. It is the first time that men have represented more than a fifth of the workforce since records began – the proportion had been static at 18% from 2012/13 until 2022/23, when it rose for the first time, to 19%.

However, Skills for Care's research has found that these positive statistics are mainly due to the record level of international recruitment in 2023/24 and the sector is still struggling with domestic recruitment and retention. The year saw 105,000 international recruits starting direct care providing roles in the independent sector and the number of people in the workforce with a British nationality shrinking by 30,000. Over the two years since March 2022, 185,000 international recruits joined and the number of British workers fell by 70,000.

According to Skills for Care, it is clear from the data that this is not a case of international recruits taking jobs from British people, as the number of vacancies across the sector remains high. While the turnover rate for internationally-recruited staff in the frontline ‘care worker’ role was 30%, the turnover rate for domestic recruits into care worker roles was 41.1%. 29% of international recruits were male, but men only accounted for 15% of newly-recruited British care workers.

These differences are significant because the supply of international workers is declining. According to Skills for Care’s latest tracking data, an estimated 8,000 new international recruits started between April and June 2024, compared with an average of 26,000 per quarter in the year to March – a decrease of over two thirds.

Even with the record level of international recruitment in 2023/24, the sector’s vacancy rate of 8.3% was still around three times that of the wider economy. Skills for Care estimates that, in addition to filling vacancies, the sector will need another 540,000 posts by 2040 if the workforce is to grow in proportion to the number of people aged over 65 in the population.

Other findings from the report include:

• The adult social care sector was estimated to contribute £68.1bn gross value added (GVA) to the economy in England – which is up 13.2% from 2022/23.
• The number of filled posts increased by 70,000 (4.2%).
• In terms of individual job roles, social workers filled posts increased the most over the period (1,800 or 7.7%), followed by care workers (48,000 or 5.6%).
• The number of personal assistant filled posts decreased by 7,000 (5.4%), the largest decrease of any job role.
• The median hourly rate for care workers was £11, which was 58p an hour more than the National Living Wage at the time. This is slightly less than the previous year, when the differential was 61p.
• Care workers with five or more years’ experience were, on average, earning around 10p more per hour than care workers with less than one years’ experience. This is more than the previous year (6p) but has fallen from 33p per hour in March 2016.
• 41% of care workers held a relevant qualification at level 2 or above. This has been at a similar level since 2020/21 but has fallen from 49% in 2017/18.
• 24,600 adult social care apprenticeships were started in 2022/23 – the most recent year that apprenticeship data is available for. This was a 14% drop from the previous year, whereas the number of apprenticeships started across all sectors only fell by 3%. The number has fallen by 75% since 2016/17.
• The social care workforce continues to be very diverse, with 32% of workers coming from ethnic minority backgrounds, compared with 17% of the population.
• There were an estimated 18,500 organisations providing or organising, adult social care in England.
• Of around 210,000 adults, older people and carers who received direct payments, 65,000 employed their own staff.

Skills for Care has led the development of a new Workforce Strategy for adult social care, which was published in July 2024. The strategy, which has the backing of a wide range of organisations from across social care, health and education, aims to improve the quality of social care roles, ensuring that the sector can attract and keep enough people with the right skills and values to provide the best possible care and support for the people who draw on it.

Commenting on the publication of the latest State of the Adult Social Care Sector and Workforce in England, Professor Oonagh Smyth, Chief Executive Officer at Skills for Care, said, 'It’s clear from our data that international recruitment has been vital in helping the social care workforce grow, but we can’t count on this continuing as we’re starting to see less of it – and the global job market is a competitive one. So we need to stem the tide of British care workers who are leaving their jobs and we can only do that by improving the quality of care roles so the sector can be more competitive in local job markets.

'The launch of the Workforce Strategy for adult social care in July was a big step forward. We know what needs to be done, so now all of us with the power to implement the strategy’s recommendations just need to make it happen.

'This includes investing properly in the workforce as part of the journey towards a National Care Service. Improving pay is an important step, but focusing on things like training and the infrastructure to enable proper workforce planning are vital too. Other sectors can respond to improved care worker pay by increasing their own – but it’ll be harder for them to compete with better-paid care roles that are also rewarding, meaningful and come with great opportunities to learn and grow.

'Not only is the social care workforce vital for our society and a meaningful and fulfilling career for so many people, but it will also be central to the success of the new Government’s missions to build an NHS fit for the future, kick-start the economy and break down barriers to opportunity. Its importance cannot and must not be overlooked.

'The clock is ticking – we know we’re going to need more than half a million more care roles by 2040, and that’s on top of all the vacancies we still need to fill.'

Nadra Ahmed CBE, Executive Co-Chairman at the National Care Association, said, 'We welcome the latest report from Skills for Care, which provides crucial insights into the state of our social care workforce. The data underscores both progress and persistent challenges in this vital sector of our economy.

'The report highlights the significant impact of international recruitment on addressing care workforce shortages. Over the past two years since March 2022, we have seen 185,000 international recruits join the sector. This policy has been instrumental in reducing vacancy rates and providing an essential lifeline for many care providers. Indeed, 26% of our care workforce now comprises internationally recruited staff.

'However, it's crucial to note that during the same two-year period, we experienced a decrease of 70,000 British workers in the sector. Since 2018/19 there has been a 10% decrease in British nationals in workforce composition indicating the complexity of our staffing challenges and the need for a comprehensive, long-term strategy to attract and retain a vibrant and diverse care workforce.'

Vic Rayner OBE, Chief Executive Officer at the National Care Forum (NCF), said, 'While the data presented in this report shows a welcome stabilisation of some of the key metrics around the care workforce, we must not underestimate the role of international recruitment and the mammoth efforts of providers to improve pay, terms and conditions.

'It is important to recognise the dedicated international colleagues who have chosen to come to the UK to provide care and support to people who need it when there are so many other countries across the world crying out for care staff. However, when the impact of international recruitment is stripped out, the underlying statistics around pay, turnover and recruitment make clear that we are not in a sustainable situation, and we need a long-term solution to these systemic workforce issues. This is driven home when one considers that there are now 70,000 fewer British workers in direct care roles compared to 2021/22. In the same period there was an increase of 185,000 international recruits.

'The solutions to this domestic workforce crisis are in plain sight as presented in a workforce strategy for adult social care facilitated by Skills for Care and published in July 2024. This strategy was developed in collaboration with a wide range of organisations, including NCF, representatives of our membership and people with a stake in the future of care services.

'We call on the Government to adopt, and fully fund, the strategy with urgency as it presents clear and deliverable methods that would create meaningful and sustainable change. We reiterate our offer to work together with the Government as it develops its Fair Pay Agreement for care workers and a National Care Service – central to this will be the implementation of an actionable plan to ensure good quality, sustainable care is there when people need it most.'

Anna Hemmings, Chief Executive Officer at the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS), said, 'The increase in the number of people in direct care roles is positive, but the high turnover of recently recruited staff, particularly among our domestic workforce, remains a barrier to developing the skilled and experienced workers needed to support growing numbers of us living with illness and disability.

'This (high turnover of staff in social care) is no surprise given over 30% of people are on unstable zero hours contracts, wage levels are lower than equivalent NHS roles, and people’s increased experience, responsibility and skills aren’t rewarded with meaningful pay increases.

'While we’ve relied heavily on overseas staff to prop up our care system in recent years, the number of new international recruits is now dwindling, making it more urgent than ever that the Government makes the improvements to pay and conditions needed to encourage domestic workers into a career in care.

'To start properly valuing our workforce, ADASS is calling on the Government to nationally fund paying care workers, the majority of whom are women, above National Living Wage.'

Kathryn Smith, Chief Executive of the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE), said, 'The social care workforce remains in critical condition. The reprieve brought by the record level of international recruitment has been much needed but ultimately not enough to stabilise the sector, which contributes £68.1bn annually to our economy.

'Domestic recruitment and retention are still at a crisis point, with the number of British workers decreasing by around 70,000 over the last two years and the turnover rate for care workers at 41.1%.

'The decrease in the number of personal assistants is a significant concern due to the crucial role they play in providing personalised support. The continued reduction could limit options for those requiring care, resulting in unmet needs. Combined with the wider workforce pressures, it highlights that people who employ personal assistants must not be left behind as part of government reform measures.

'With a vacancy rate that is three times that of the wider economy, we urge the Government to take bold, decisive action to tackle the workforce’s short-term and long-term needs. This includes addressing low pay, which remains a significant issue, as well as improved employment contracts, better working conditions, career development and training opportunities.

'The roadmap described in the Skills for Care Workforce Strategy provides a springboard for action. By valuing and rewarding the care workforce, we will ensure a better future for the care system, for both the people who work in it and those who rely on it daily.'

Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive Officer at Care England, said, 'The report's headline figure of more filled posts is welcome, but it does not tell the whole story. An 8.3% vacancy rate is unsustainable, particularly when compared to the wider economy and even the NHS. This is not just a recruitment challenge – it's a systemic failure to build a workforce that can meet the current and future demands of social care. Without immediate intervention, we will continue to see a workforce stretched beyond its limits, which will directly impact the quality of care provided to some of the most vulnerable people in our society.'

Dr Jane Townson OBE, Chief Executive Officer at the Homecare Association, said, 'The adult social care sector is vital to the health and wellbeing of millions of people across England, contributing £68.1bn to the economy. We need to take action now to deal with workforce issues and create a strong and skilled workforce that can meet the needs of our ageing population. The Workforce Strategy provides many of the solutions – what we need now is swift and decisive action to implement it.'

To read the latest State of the Adult Social Care Sector and Workforce in England, visit the Skills for Care website.

In other news, councils have warned that unless Government acts, local authorities in England face a funding shortfall of £54bn over the next five years.