Marking the half-way point of the calendar year, healthcare employment rose in June, with the largest gains in ambulatory health services, according a report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics released today.
In all industries, the unemployment rate didn't change much from May to June, remaining steady at 9.2 percent (14.1 million), according to the BLS. In healthcare, however, employment trended up in the month of June with the addition of about 14,000 jobs.
In the overall healthcare industry, which includes ambulatory services, hospitals, nursing homes, and social assistance, employment rose (seasonally adjusted) to 14,057,100 jobs in June, up from 14,043,600 in May, according to BLS data.
During the past 12 months, the healthcare industry has added an average 24,000 jobs per month, according to the report.
Although the largest gain was in ambulatory healthcare at 6,133,200 in June, up from 6,116,700 the previous month, hospitals did not witness the same kind of growth. Hospital employment was 4,738,000 in June, down from 4,742,000 in May.
"The unemployment rate remains unacceptably high and faster growth is needed to replace the jobs lost in the downturn," states the Council of Economic Advisers on the White House blog. "Today's report underscores the need for bipartisan action to help the private sector and the economy grow--such as measures to extend the payroll tax cut, pass the pending free trade agreements, and create an infrastructure bank to help put Americans back to work. It also underscores the need for a balanced approach to deficit reduction that instills confidence and allows us to live within our means without shortchanging future growth."
To learn more:
- read the BLS press release
- here's the BLS data
- check out the White House blog
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