While the healthcare sector overall gained nearly 11,000 jobs in May, gains were significantly lower than the average of 24,000 a month over the prior 12-month period.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest jobs data released Friday morning, biggest gains in the healthcare sector were in home healthcare services at 6,900 jobs. Physician offices gained 4,700 jobs while nursing care facilities lost 2,700 and hospitals lost 5,900.
[See also: Healthcare sector added jobs in April]
The nation’s overall employment situation beat economists’ estimates, increasing in May by 175,000. The unemployment rate and the number of unemployed persons remained essentially unchanged at 7.6 percent and 11.8 million, respectively.
Those sectors of the workforce that saw gains included professional and business services, adding 57,000 jobs, which includes a gain of more than 26,000 in temporary help services; food services and drinking places adding 38,000 jobs in May (and 337,000 over the past year); and retail trade, increasing by 28,000.
Jobs in the federal government declined by 14,000 in May. According to BLS, federal government jobs have decreased by 45,000 over the last three months.
Photo used with permission from Shuttershock.com.