Labor Department: Healthcare Hiring in July Almost Entirely in Outpatient Sector

Healthcare employment increased in July, but virtually the entire increase (96.6 percent) of that growth came on the outpatient side, according to new statistics.

On Aug. 2, the United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics released information on non-farm payroll employment across the United States. “Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 164,000 in July, and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 3.7 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Notable job gains occurred in professional and technical services, health care, social assistance, and financial activities,” the Bureau of Statistics reported.

Further, the Bureau noted, “Employment in health care rose by 30,000 over the month, reflecting a gain in ambulatory health care services (+29,000). Health care employment has increased by 405,000 over the year, with ambulatory health care services accounting for about two-thirds of the gain.”

Meanwhile, overall, the healthcare industry’s 30,000-jobs growth represented that of one of the strongest sectors, a CNBC analysis noted. Put together, educational and health services totaled 66,000 new jobs, followed by 38,000 new jobs in professional and business services, 18,000 in financial activities, 16,000 in manufacturing, 16,000 in government, 10,000 in leisure and hospitality, 6,700 in wholesale trade, and 4,000 in construction. Some industries lost jobs, including utilities (400), retail trade (3,600), mining and logging (5,000), and information (10,000).

In that article, published less than an hour after the Bureau of Labor Statistics publication, CNBC’s Yun Li wrote, “Jobs in the health-care and education sector — a consistent employment juggernaut — increased the most in July with a net gain of 66,000 payrolls. Health care and social services, including ambulatory outpatient care, hospitals and nursing and resident facilities added 50,400 jobs.”