Despite a hectic presidential election, bumpy domestic jobs market and global economic uncertainty, the U.S. healthcare industry continues to pump out jobs as if it were the dawn of the industrial revolution.
Healthcare added 38,500 jobs in June and a total of 234,600 jobs in the first six months of 2016, according to initial seasonally adjusted figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Hospitals, physician offices, nursing homes and numerous outpatient settings each increased their payrolls for yet another month.
At this time last year, the healthcare industry had created 230,600 jobs in the first six months before finishing the year with almost 439,000 additional jobs.
Hospitals and health systems remain a hiring force, boosting their payrolls by 15,000 last month. That's a 3.9% year-over-year increase. Hospitals added 89,800 jobs in the first half of this year despite the continued consolidation occurring in the industry.
Ambulatory healthcare settings increased their employee totals by 19,300 in June. Physician offices led the way with 6,600 jobs, while home health agencies added 4,400 jobs.
The baby boomer generation also has fueled a need for more employees in nursing homes and other facilities that care for seniors. Nursing homes added 3,100 jobs in June, a year-over-year uptick of 0.8%, and elderly community care facilities boosted their payrolls by 2,300.
The entire U.S. economy added 287,000 jobs in June, up from the very low revised total of 11,000 from May.
