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Healthcare adds 28,000 jobs in November, mostly through ambulatory hiring

Hospitals, meanwhile, added 5,500 jobs in the month.

Healthcare businesses added 28,400 jobs in November, the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics announced on Friday, bringing the total to 407,000 jobs added by the sector in the past 12 months.

Overall, the U.S. economy added 178,000 jobs and the unemployment rate fell to 4.6 percent.

Ambulatory healthcare services, which included physicians offices, dentists and various outpatient centers, by far added the most in the month with 22,200 new positions created. Hospitals, meanwhile, added 5,500 jobs.

Medical laboratories lost 600 jobs in the month while nursing care facilities lost 200.

Healthcare's total job gain for the month was slightly lower than October, when the sector added 31,000 jobs.

Here's the seasonally adjusted breakdown for the healthcare sector. All numbers are in thousands:

Industry Nov. 2015 Sept. 2016 Oct. 2016 Nov. 2016 Change
Industry Nov. 2015 Sept. 2016 Oct. 2016 Nov. 2016 Change
Healthcare 15,267.00 15,618.50 15,645.60 15,674.00 28.4
Ambulatory healthcare 6,967.50 7,182.50 7,199.30 7,221.50 22.2
Physicians offices 2,564.20 2,626.60 2,630.30 2,637.70 7.4
Dentists offices 917.3 943.1 944.7 944.8 0.1
Other healthcare offices 823.7 870.3 874.6 879.8 5.2
Outpatient care centers 757.4 789.9 793.9 799.2 5.3
Medical and diagnostic laboratories 261.1 259.2 260.6 260 -0.6
Home healthcare services 1,349.60 1,399.40 1,402.60 1,404.80 2.2
Other ambulatory healthcare 294.2 294 292.6 295.2 2.6
Hospitals 4,987.60 5,104.60 5,115.10 5,120.60 5.5
Nursing and residential care facilities 3,311.90 3,331.40 3,331.20 3,331.90 0.7
Nursing care facilities 1,659.20 1,659.90 1,657.40 1,657.20 -0.2
Residential mental health facilities 609.3 613.1 613.9 614 0.1
Community care facilities for the elderly 882 894.1 894.9 895.5 0.6
Other residential care facilities 161.4 164.3 165 165.2 0.2

Twitter: @HenryPowderly
Contact the author: henry.powderly@himssmedia.com