Hospital employment up 1.5% from year ago

Hospital employment rose 0.2% in May, reaching 4.3 million, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. For the month, hospitals employed 9,100 more workers compared to April. Compared to May 2003, employment in hospitals went up 1.5%. Employment for all health services and social assistance increased by 36,000 last month for a total of 14.1 million. The national unemployment rate was steady at 5.6%. -- by Tony Fong