Employment in the U.S. healthcare sector increased by approximately 21,500 jobs in December, while the national unemployment rate remained unchanged at 10.0 percent, according to recent data from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The biggest healthcare job gains were in ambulatory care, especially in physician offices and home healthcare services. Of these jobs, 8,900 were in physicians’ offices and 8,000 in home healthcare services. Outpatient care centers gained 2,500 jobs in December.
Hospitals gained approximately 1,400 jobs in December, while overall employment in nursing and residential care facilities actually decreased by approximately 2,700 jobs.
The BLS reports that the healthcare industry has added 631,000 jobs since the start of the recession.
Overall, non-farm payroll employment fell by 85,000 jobs in December and the number of unemployed persons remained steady at 15.3 million.
At the start of the recession in December 2007, the number of unemployed persons was 7.7 million, and the jobless rate was 5.0 percent.