Healthcare added 32,700 jobs in August, and a revision to July's numbers increased job creation for the sector by more than four times what was previously reported.
The August numbers are the most jobs the sector has added since December when healthcare added 61,900 jobs. During the past 12 months, healthcare has added an average of 26,308 jobs a month. That's a 22.5% increase compared to the previous 12-month average of 21,483.
Ambulatory care led the way in August with 26,600 jobs, the most jobs added since December when ambulatory added 38,100 jobs. Jobs at physician offices rebounded in August by adding 6,000, the most since April's addition of 6,900. Home healthcare performed well with an increase of 9,500, the largest increase of the year and nearly twice July's figure of 4,900.
But hospitals added only 900 jobs in August, still better than July when hospital jobs decreased by 1,300. So far this year, three out of eight months have seen decreases at hospital jobs, as the sector saw losses of 4,400 jobs in January and 9,000 in May.
Hospitals weren't alone in sluggish performance. Job creation at outpatient-care centers slowed to 2,500 for the month. That's the fewest since April's 2,200.
Last month, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported healthcare added 2,500 jobs for July. But because of an update in the preliminary and seasonally adjusted numbers released Friday morning (PDF), that number spiked to 11,600.
Overall, nonfarm payroll employment increased by 169,000, according to the bureau. Healthcare joined retail trade as the two major industries that saw job increases in August, the BLS noted.
Follow Ashok Selvam on Twitter: @MH_aselvam
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