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Vacancy Metrics

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FTE Vacancy Rate

Definition: The percentage of budgeted FTE positions that are currently unfilled. Formula: 
FTE Vacancy Rate = (Vacant FTE ÷ Total Positions) × 100
Data sources: vacant_fte, positions Interpretation:
  • Below 5%: Strong fill rate — normal operational range
  • 5–10%: Moderate vacancy — monitor for impact on workload
  • 10–15%: Elevated vacancy — recruitment prioritization warranted
  • Above 15%: Critical vacancy — direct impact on care delivery and staff overtime
Typical benchmarks: Canadian acute care nursing vacancy rates averaged 8–12% in 2024–2025 (CIHI). Allied health and specialist roles typically run higher. Displayed in: Overview, Vacancy Analysis, Pulse Intelligence, Metrics Explorer

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Vacant FTE

Definition: The number of funded FTE positions that are currently unfilled. Formula: 
Vacant FTE = Total Positions − Filled FTE
Data sources: positions, fte Interpretation: Vacant FTE is the absolute count of unfilled positions. Use this alongside Vacancy Rate — a 10% vacancy rate means very different things at a unit of 5 FTE versus 50 FTE. Displayed in: Overview, Vacancy Analysis, Metrics Explorer

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FTE Fill Rate

Definition: The percentage of budgeted FTE positions that are currently filled. Formula: 
FTE Fill Rate = (Filled FTE ÷ Total Positions) × 100
Relationship to Vacancy Rate: FTE Fill Rate + FTE Vacancy Rate = 100%. Displayed in: Metrics Explorer

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Vacancy Count

Definition: The number of individual unfilled headcount positions. Formula: 
Vacancy Count = Positions (headcount) − Headcount
Distinction from Vacant FTE: Vacancy Count is headcount-based (integer). Vacant FTE is FTE-based (decimal). A 0.5 FTE part-time vacancy counts as 1 in Vacancy Count but 0.5 in Vacant FTE. Displayed in: Overview, Vacancy Analysis

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Critical Areas (>25%)

Definition: Units or provider types where FTE Vacancy Rate exceeds 25%. Threshold: 25% — configurable in Alert Rules. Purpose: Identifies units at highest operational risk from vacancy. At 25%+ vacancy, patient safety and care continuity are directly affected. Displayed in: Vacancy Analysis, Pulse Intelligence warnings

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Notes on vacancy data quality

Vacancy metrics are only as reliable as the positions data provided. If your source system does not track budgeted positions separately from filled positions, use headcount and fte only and acknowledge that vacancy metrics will not be available. Common data quality issues:
  • Positions not updated when roles are eliminated or created mid-year
  • Positions reflect approved budget, not funded establishment — these may differ
  • Part-time positions expressed as either headcount or FTE inconsistently