The healthcare industry added the highest number of new jobs since at least 1990 last month, though nursing facilities aren’t popping champagne.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics noted Friday that the sector overall tallied 50,200 new jobs in December. Modern Healthcare reported that it was the highest addition in its monthly healthcare jobs database, which reaches back to February 1990.
Healthcare’s jobs growth rate stood at 2.2% in December, besting the growth rate of 1.7% in other sectors, the report noted. The National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care also posted a look at the new numbers Friday, noting this was the 99th consecutive month of job growth.
But ambulatory care made up a sizeable portion of the new hires, about 75%, adding 37,800 new jobs. Meanwhile, nursing facilities and hospitals lagged far behind in increasing their payrolls, with the two fields adding 700 and 7,400 positions, respectively. That was a dip for both healthcare segments, after SNFs added 900 positions in November.
