Hospitals Cut Jobs in July, Fed Data Shows

The job creation roller coaster ride continues for the nation's hospitals.

Bureau of Labor Statistics preliminary data released Friday show that hospitals shed 2,300 jobs in July, after reporting 3,000 payroll additions in June, which followed 1,400 reductions in May.

BLS information from June and July is considered preliminary and may be considerably revised in the coming months.

Hospitals have reported 15,200 payroll additions in the first seven months of 2010, compared with 6,500 payroll additions in the first seven months of 2009, according to BLS data and revised preliminary data.

Hospitals last reported sustained payroll reductions in 2000, when 2,200 jobs were lost between January and April, BLS data show.

Overall, the economy lost 131,000 jobs in July, as the nation's jobless rate held steady at 9.5%. The decline in payroll employment reflected the loss of 143,000 temporary jobs from the U.S. Census Bureau, while private sector payrolls increased by 71,000, BLS preliminary data show.