Healthcare Adds 46,000 Jobs in May as Overall U.S. Hiring Slows
Overall, the U.S. economy added 38,000 jobs in the month, and the unemployment rate fell to 4.7 percent.
Healthcare businesses added 46,000 jobs in May, standing out in a month where job growth slowed across most industries, according to data released Friday by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Overall, the U.S. economy added 38,000 jobs in the month, and the unemployment rate fell to 4.7 percent.
Following a strong April, when healthcare 44,000 jobs, May saw hospitals and ambulatory centers lead in creating those 46,000 jobs. Ambulatory healthcare services, which include physicians offices, outpatient centers and other non-hospital providers, added 23,500 jobs while hospitals added 16,500 jobs in the month.
Physician’s offices added 9,000 jobs in the month.
Only medical laboratories lost positions in May, shedding 200 jobs in the month.
Here’s the seasonally adjusted breakdown for healthcare sector hiring in May. All numbers are in thousands:
| Industry | May 2015 | March 2015 | April 2015 | May 2016 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Industry | May 2015 | March 2015 | April 2015 | May 2016 | Change |
| Healthcare | 15,015.00 | 15,420.40 | 15,456.30 | 15,502.00 | 45.7 |
| Ambulatory healthcare | 6,842.20 | 7,061.00 | 7,075.90 | 7,099.40 | 23.5 |
| Hospitals | 4,885.60 | 5,041.80 | 5,061.20 | 5,077.70 | 16.5 |
| Physicians offices | 2,522.80 | 2,589.40 | 2,590.60 | 2,599.60 | 9 |
| Nursing and residential care facilities | 3,287.20 | 3,317.60 | 3,319.20 | 3,324.90 | 5.7 |
| Home healthcare services | 1,313.20 | 1,379.60 | 1,382.50 | 1,388.10 | 5.6 |
| Other healthcare offices | 810.8 | 842.5 | 847.3 | 852.7 | 5.4 |
| Nursing care facilities | 1,648.10 | 1,652.10 | 1,653.40 | 1,658.10 | 4.7 |
| Dentists offices | 905.8 | 930.4 | 933.4 | 935.9 | 2.5 |
| Outpatient care centers | 744.6 | 767.2 | 770.8 | 772.8 | 2 |
| Residential mental health facilities | 606 | 613.9 | 613.8 | 614.5 | 0.7 |
| Other residential care facilities | 162.3 | 162.9 | 162.7 | 162.9 | 0.2 |
| Community care facilities for the elderly | 870.8 | 888.7 | 889.3 | 889.4 | 0.1 |
| Medical and diagnostic laboratories | 257.6 | 258.8 | 258.8 | 258.6 | -0.2 |
| Other ambulatory healthcare | 287.5 | 292.9 | 292.5 | 291.7 | -0.8 |
Dallas, TX
By Henry Powderly
Source: Healthcare Finance