Month after month this year, the ambulatory sector has led the pack when it comes to healthcare industry hiring. But hospitals managed to push ahead in September to take the top spot.
Hospitals added 12,000 jobs last month, 47% of total healthcare hiring, and easily beating out ambulatory's 10,300 jobs. Healthcare overall added a healthy 25,700 jobs in September, 23% fewer than the 33,200 jobs added in August, but still well above July's 16,700 new hires, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' newest jobs report released Friday.
The September jobs report ticked the U.S. unemployment rate down to 3.7%, the lowest it's been since 1969. A total of 134,000 new jobs were added to the U.S. economy last month. Healthcare hiring trailed that of professional and business services, which added 54,000 jobs, but beat out transportation and warehousing, which added 23,800 new jobs. The construction industry made 23,000 new hires.
Ambulatory sector hiring was weak in September compared with its robust showing for much of the year. Physicians' offices added the most jobs, at 4,100—800 fewer than in August. Home health added 2,200 jobs, 72% fewer than the month before. Dental office hiring, which has been weak in recent months, shed 500 jobs.
Outpatient care centers added 1,000 jobs in September, while offices of other health practitioners added 2,000.
Nursing and residential care facilities added 3,400 jobs in September, 13% fewer than in August. Within that sector, other residential care facilities added 1,400 jobs, and community care facilities for the elderly made 1,100 new hires. Nursing care facilities, a typically weak hiring area this year, made 200 new hires in September. Residential mental health facilities added 700 jobs.
