Job growth in the healthcare sector for the month of July was fairly stagnant, adding 8,300 jobs, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Friday.
[See also: Job growth seen in healthcare despite hospitals cutting labor costs]
The slow growth in July follows strong employment numbers reported for the month of June in which the healthcare sector gained nearly 20,000 jobs.
Ambulatory healthcare services saw the largest growth in July, adding 6,600 jobs, while hospital employment took the biggest hit, losing 4,400 jobs.
Overall across all job sectors, total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 162,000 compared to 195,000 in growth for the month of June, and the unemployment rate lowered to 7.4 percent from 7.6 percent in June.
[See also: Healthcare adds small number of jobs in June]
Industry sectors that saw the most growth in July were retail trade, which added 47,000 jobs, and food services and drinking places, which added 38,000 jobs.
So far in 2013, healthcare services has added an average of 16,000 jobs per month, compared to the average monthly increase of 27,000 in 2012.
[See also: Healthcare adds 12K jobs in July]