Healthcare sector continues steady march of job growth in August with 16,000 jobs added

Healthcare continues its even-paced march in job growth, adding roughly 16,000 jobs to the national economy in August, about the same number as it did in June and July, according to seasonally adjusted data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 156,000 in August, with job gains occurring in manufacturing, construction, professional and technical services, healthcare, and mining.

[Also: Pace of healthcare job growth slows in March, with roughly 15,000 jobs added]

"Employment growth has averaged 176,000 per month thus far this year, about in line with the average monthly gain of 187,000 in 2016," the Bureau said in a statement.

Health care employment continued on an upward trend and has risen by 328,000 over the year, the Bureau said. Ambulatory healthcare services was the biggest contributing category with a little more than 7,000 jobs added, followed by hospitals with roughly 5100 jobs added in August. Both of those figures were steady throughout the summer with nominal increases over June, July and August.

[Also: Georgia hospitals contribute $47.8 billion to state economy, directly and indirectly support jobs]

Nursing and residential care services was the next biggest contributing category, which held steady around 3330 jobs added each month over the summer, to include August. Physicians offices came in fourth, adding roughly 2600 jobs to the economy in June, July and August.

The steady-paced growth should be somewhat reassuring to those both in the industry and those eyeing a future in it, as various entities have reported on the growing physician shortage especially in the area of primary care.

It is yet to be determined how the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey could affect September's numbers, or the coming months. The Bureau said the data for August was gathered before the storm hit.

Twitter: @BethJSanborn
Email the writer: beth.sandborn@himssmedia.com