Healthcare job growth in April was down about 22% from the 72,000 jobs created in March but in line with annual averages.
The healthcare sector grew 56,000 new jobs in April, a 22% drop from March, but in line with monthly averages over the past year, and still among the most robust job-creating sectors in the overall economy, new federal data show.
Ambulatory care and hospitals lead in job creation within the healthcare sector in April, accounting for 33,000 and 14,000 new jobs, respectively, while nursing and residential care created 9,000 new jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics April jobs report.
Despite the slowdown, the healthcare sector accounted for nearly one-in-three (32%) of the 175,000 jobs created in the larger economy in April, BLS data show.
The healthcare sector has created an average of 63,000 new jobs every month for the past year.
The unemployment rate in the larger U.S. economy held steady at 3.9%, BLS says, with 6.5 million people reporting as unemployed in April.
Big job gains in April were also seen in social services (31,000), and retail (20,000).
The average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls in April rose by 7 cents (0.2%) to $34.75. Over the past 12 months, average hourly earnings have increased by 3.9%. The average hourly earnings of private-sector production and nonsupervisory employees rose by 6 cents (0.2%) to $29.83.
March and April job numbers are considered preliminary by BLS, and subject to revisions.
John Commins is a content specialist and online news editor for HealthLeaders, a Simplify Compliance brand.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Ambulatory care and hospitals lead in job creation within the healthcare sector, accounting for 28,000 and 27,000 new jobs, respectively, while nursing and residential care created 17,000 jobs.
Despite the slowdown, the healthcare sector accounted for nearly one-in-three (32%) of the 175,000 jobs created in the larger economy in April.