While studies have been conducted to track general staffing trends in the medical laboratory, no data exists regarding staffing at the laboratory department level. In 2008, ASCP initiated a survey to study this for the first time. This study represents an important first step in measuring how different departments may be affected by overall laboratory budget cuts, new technologies, and the implementation of management strategies, such as cross-training and part-time hours staffing. Examining staffing at the department level also offers more details about the oncoming wave of baby boomer retirements and whether there will be new entrants ready to replace them. Finally, the information generated in this study helps identify the state of laboratory staffing at the ground level and will help inform the development of programs and policies that address the needs of ASCP members. As noted, ASCP conducted this survey to gather national level staffing data (current staff, staff replacements, vacancies, experience) for the various areas of practice that compose today’s U.S. medical laboratory. The respondents indicated the department where they worked as the Core Lab, Hematology, Chemistry, Immunohematology, Molecular Biology/Flow Cytometry, Microbiology, Cytology, Histology, Phlebotomy, or Information Technology. Data was collected regarding staff working in the various departments and their certification status for Medical Technologists (MTs), Medical Laboratory Technicians (MLTs), Laboratory Assistants (LAs), Phlebotomists (PBTs), Histotechnicians (HTs), Histotechnologists (HTLs), Cytotechnologists (CTs), Pathologists’ Assistants (PAs), and Specialists in Blood Banking (SBBs). The classification of certified versus noncertified staff was self-defined by the laboratories that responded to this survey. The questionnaire was uniquely designed to support studies with this level of complexity (630 possible response items) and was formatted to reduce the time required for respondents to move through a large number of questions. Also, in order to improve the ease of distribution and receipt via e-mail, questionnaires were …