Healthcare adds 41,000 jobs in August in huge hiring bump; Ambulatory centers surge
Healthcare made up nearly a quarter of the country's job gains.
Healthcare businesses added 41,000 jobs in August, the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics said on Friday, a huge jump compared to the previous month as hospitals, ambulatory centers and physicians offices hired thousands in the last full month of the summer.
The sector added 28,000 jobs in July.
[Also: Healthcare adds 28,000 jobs in July as hiring slows]
Overall, the U.S. economy added 173,000 jobs in August, while the overall unemployment rate fell to 5.1 percent, a seven-year low.
Healthcare made up nearly a quarter of those gains, the Department of Labor said.
Ambulatory centers led the hiring, adding 21,000 jobs in August, while hospitals also beefed up its workforce by adding 16,000 jobs.
Physicians offices also saw big gains, adding nearly 7,000 jobs.
Overall, the healthcare sector employed 15.2 million people in the month.
No sub-sector of healthcare lost jobs, though outpatient care centers added just 1,600 jobs in the month.
Here's the seasonally adjusted breakdown for the healthcare sector. All numbers are in thousands:
| Industry | August 2014 | June 2015 | July 2015 | August 2015 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Industry | August 2014 | June 2015 | July 2015 | August 2015 | Change |
| Healthcare | 14,720.90 | 15,099.90 | 15,137.40 | 15,177.90 | 40.5 |
| Ambulatory health care services | 6,670.50 | 6,914.30 | 6,926.00 | 6,947.10 | 21.1 |
| Offices of physicians | 2,480.00 | 2,552.70 | 2,558.80 | 2,565.70 | 6.9 |
| Outpatient care centers | 715.3 | 745.2 | 747.5 | 749.1 | 1.6 |
| Home healthcare services | 1,265.10 | 1,319.90 | 1,324.50 | 1,330.30 | 5.8 |
| Hospitals | 4,786.70 | 4,885.30 | 4,905.20 | 4,921.10 | 15.9 |
| Nursing and residential care facilities | 3,263.70 | 3,300.30 | 3,306.20 | 3,309.70 | 3.5 |
| Nursing care facilities | 1,652.40 | 1,653.90 | 1,656.70 | 1,658.70 | 2 |
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