Healthcare adds 46,000 jobs in December, buoys weaker overall jobs report
Sector added an average of 35,000 jobs a month in 2016, just slightly less the 39,000 a month it saw in 2015.
Healthcare added 46,000 jobs in December, the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics said on Friday, representing more than a quarter of the jobs added in the month.
Overall, the economy added 156,000 jobs in the month, and the unemployment rate held steady at 4.7 percent.
[Also: Healthcare adds 28,000 jobs in November, mostly through ambulatory hiring]
According to the agency, healthcare added an average of 35,000 jobs a month in 2016, just slightly less the 39,000 a month the sector recorded in 2015.
Ambulatory services, which included physicians offices and other outpatient centers, led December hiring by adding 29,700 jobs. Hospitals added 10,700 jobs in the month.
Here's the seasonally adjusted breakdown for the healthcare sector. All numbers are in thousands:
| Industry | Dec. 2015 | Oct. 2016 | Nov. 2016 | Dec. 2016 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Industry | Dec. 2015 | Oct. 2016 | Nov. 2016 | Dec. 2016 | Change |
| Healthcare | 15,302.50 | 15,650.10 | 15,681.00 | 15,724.20 | 43.2 |
| Ambulatory healthcare | 6,991.90 | 7,201.40 | 7,222.30 | 7,252.00 | 29.7 |
| Physicians offices | 2,568.70 | 2,631.00 | 2,637.10 | 2,645.30 | 8.2 |
| Dentists offices | 926.4 | 945.4 | 947.3 | 949.8 | 2.5 |
| Other healthcare offices | 827.3 | 874.3 | 879.7 | 884.1 | 4.4 |
| Outpatient care centers | 760.8 | 794.4 | 798.3 | 805.3 | 7 |
| Medical and diagnostic laboratories | 259.7 | 260.6 | 260.3 | 260.5 | 0.2 |
| Home healthcare services | 1,355.50 | 1,402.70 | 1,404.40 | 1,410.20 | 5.8 |
| Other ambulatory healthcare | 293.5 | 292.9 | 295.2 | 296.9 | 1.7 |
| Hospitals | 4,998.50 | 5,117.50 | 5,127.30 | 5,138.00 | 10.7 |
| Nursing and residential care facilities | 3,312.10 | 3,331.20 | 3,331.40 | 3,334.20 | 2.8 |
| Nursing care facilities | 1,659.70 | 1,657.80 | 1,657.50 | 1,659.70 | 2.2 |
| Residential mental health facilities | 608.8 | 613.7 | 613.9 | 614.1 | 0.2 |
| Community care facilities for the elderly | 880.9 | 895 | 895.4 | 896.9 | 1.5 |
| Other residential care facilities | 162.7 | 164.7 | 164.7 | 163.5 | -1.2 |
Twitter: @HenryPowderly
Contact the author: henry.powderly@himssmedia.com
