Healthcare adds 45,000 jobs in April as hiring picks up
Healthcare has added 390,000 jobs in the past year, the Labor Department said.
Healthcare has added 390,000 jobs in the past year, the Labor Department said, shaking off a slow March and February for job growth in the sector.
The healthcare industry added 45,000 jobs in April, the largest gain in months, led by big gains in ambulatory center hiring leading the sector, according to data from the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Overall, the U.S. economy added 223,000 jobs in the month, and the the unemployment rate fell to 5.4 percent.
Healthcare has added 390,000 jobs in the past year, the Labor Department said.
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Ambulatory services added 25,300 jobs in April, compared to March. Hospitals added 11,800 jobs, nursing care facilities added 10,400 and physician offices added 9,300 jobs. Now sector in healthcare lost jobs, though home health services added the smallest amount with 2,700 jobs.
April’s gains marked a big turnaround from March, when the sector added just 22,000 jobs, the lowest growth in months.
[Also: Healthcare hiring slows in March]
Here’s the seasonally adjusted breakdown for the healthcare sector. All numbers are in thousands:
| Industry | April 2014 | Feb. 2015 | March 2015 | April 2015 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Industry | April 2014 | Feb. 2015 | March 2015 | April 2015 | Change |
| Healthcare | 14,611.00 | 14,934.20 | 14,955.80 | 15,001.00 | 45.2 |
| Ambulatory health care services | 6,586.10 | 6,807.60 | 6,826.40 | 6,851.70 | 25.3 |
| Offices of physicians | 2,458.20 | 2,523.70 | 2,529.00 | 2,538.30 | 9.3 |
| Outpatient care centers | 703.9 | 729.6 | 732.6 | 736 | 3.4 |
| Home health care services | 1,246.80 | 1,295.40 | 1,300.20 | 1,302.90 | 2.7 |
| Hospitals | 4,772.20 | 4,839.20 | 4,846.80 | 4,858.60 | 11.8 |
| Nursing and residential care facilities | 3,252.70 | 3,287.40 | 3,282.60 | 3,290.70 | 8.1 |
| Nursing care facilities | 1,651.00 | 1,655.30 | 1,649.30 | 1,652.30 | 3 |
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