Healthcare adds 28,000 jobs in July as hiring slows
While hospital hiring picked up, ambulatory and nursing centers lagged.
Hospitals led with hiring, adding 15,700 jobs in the month, while ambulatory centers added 8,900 jobs, far less than the 22,000 jobs ambulatory centers added in June.
The U.S. healthcare industry added 28,000 jobs in July, a drop from 40,000 jobs added in June, as hiring in the sector continued through the summer months.
The news came as the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics said the country added 215,000 jobs in total. The July unemployment rate also held flat at 5.3 percent.
According to the DOL, hospitals led with hiring, adding 15,700 jobs in the month. As with prior months, ambulatory centers also posted high growth, with facilities adding 8,900 jobs in the month. That number was far less than the 22,000 jobs ambulatory centers added in June.
[Also: Healthcare adds 40,000 jobs in June, most in ambulatory care]
Hiring in nursing and residential care centers also slowed in July. Those healthcare providers added 3,300 jobs July compared to the 6,900 jobs the sector added in June.
Nursing homes only added 600 jobs in July.
Overall, healthcare employed 15.1 million people in July.
Here's the seasonally adjusted breakdown for the healthcare sector. All numbers are in thousands:
| Industry | July 2014 | May 2015 | June 2015 | July 2015 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Industry | July 2014 | May 2015 | June 2015 | July 2015 | Change |
| Healthcare | 14,688.90 | 15,056.80 | 15,097.00 | 15,124.90 | 27.9 |
| Ambulatory healthcare services | 6,650.80 | 6,883.50 | 6,912.80 | 6,921.70 | 8.9 |
| Offices of physicians | 2,473.30 | 2,545.00 | 2,551.40 | 2,555.90 | 4.5 |
| Outpatient care centers | 712.1 | 742.9 | 745.1 | 746.8 | 1.7 |
| Home healthcare services | 1,262.40 | 1,311.90 | 1,319.90 | 1,323.30 | 3.4 |
| Hospitals | 4,777.00 | 4,877.30 | 4,884.10 | 4,899.80 | 15.7 |
| Nursing and residential care facilities | 3,261.10 | 3,296.00 | 3,300.10 | 3,303.40 | 3.3 |
| Nursing care facilities | 1,653.00 | 1,652.90 | 1,653.70 | 1,654.30 | 0.6 |
Twitter: @HenryPowderly
