Ambulatory sector represents 95% of July's healthcare hiring

It's not unusual for ambulatory services to beat other healthcare sectors when it comes to monthly hiring, but in July, it made up almost all of the industry's new hires.

Nearly 29,000 people got new jobs in the ambulatory healthcare sector last month, which was 95% of the healthcare industry's 30,400 new hires. Healthcare industry hiring as a whole fell 13% from June.

The overall economy added 164,000 jobs in July, and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 3.7%, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics announced in its latest jobs report, released Friday.

Ambulatory sector hiring grew 56% over the prior month.

July was a stellar month for the home health industry, which added 10,700 jobs, up 34% from June. Offices of other healthcare practitioners made 7,300 new hires last month, and dentists' offices added 3,800 jobs. Physicians' offices added 3,000 jobs, down 55% from June. Outpatient care centers added 2,400 jobs, down 37% from the prior month.

Hospital hiring suffered in July, having shed 2,100 jobs. That's a noteworthy swing from June, when hospitals made 11,200 new hires.

Nursing and residential care facilities added 3,600 jobs in July, down 31% from the prior month.

Hiring in professional and technical services topped healthcare last month, having added 30,800 jobs. Healthcare added more jobs than the social assistance sector, which made 20,000 new hires, and financial activities, which added 18,000 jobs.

Healthcare employment has increased by 405,000 jobs over the year, with ambulatory healthcare services accounting for about two-thirds of that gain, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.