Recent labor statistics reveal that vacancy rates in clinical laboratories have stagnated at critical levels over the last two years with no signs of improvement. The American Society of Histocompatibility & Immunogenetics (ASHI) Laboratory Professionals Recruitment Initiative (LPRI) aims to tackle these issues by promoting careers in Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics (HLA) labs. The ASHI LPRI comprehensive survey focuses on the challenges that HLA laboratories face in filling staffing vacancies. The ASHI LPRI survey uniquely provides an overview of the vacancy landscape in HLA laboratories focused on vacancy rates, time to fill, and perceived underlying barriers by surveying diverse institutions. Vacancy rates vary among respondents, with some HLA laboratories exceeding 25% vacancy. Vacancies often persist > 6 months, attributed mainly to lack of applicants and insufficient compensation offered. Additional responses implicate lack of applicant experience, hospital administrative hurdles, the demanding nature of high complexity and on-call work, as well as budget constraints as barriers in HLA laboratory recruitment and retention efforts. In conclusion, the ASHI LPRI survey provides valuable insights into HLA laboratory position vacancies, which will drive future ASHI LPRI efforts and advocacy toward fair compensation adjustments, targeted recruitment strategies and institutional policy discussions to aid in recruitment. Addressing these challenges can enhance workforce stability and optimize HLA laboratory operations. This study provides a foundation for future research and endeavors aimed at addressing the obstacles in recruiting and retaining highly qualified applicants in high complexity clinical laboratory specialties like HLA.
