Employment at U.S. hospitals rose 0.25 percent in December 2008 to a seasonally adjusted 4,711,300 people, according to a report from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics last week.
The report revealed that hospitals added 11,900 more jobs in December than in November 2008, and 138,900 more than a year ago. Without the seasonal adjustment, which removes the effect of fluctuations due to seasonal events, hospitals employed 4,713,600 people in December, 11,000 more than in November and 139,100 more than a year ago.
The overall U.S. unemployment rate rose four-tenths of a percentage point in December to 7.2 percent.