Healthcare job growth in March outpaced the sector's 60,000 monthly average over the past 12 months.
The healthcare sector grew 72,000 new jobs in March, booking another month of strong job growth and representing nearly one-in-four (23.7%) of the 303,000 jobs created in the larger U.S. economy, new federal data show.
Ambulatory care and hospitals lead in job creation within the healthcare sector in March, accounting for 28,000 and 27,000 new jobs, respectively, while nursing and residential care created 18,000 new jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics March jobs report.
The healthcare sector has created an average of 60,000 new jobs every month for the past year.
The unemployment rate in the larger U.S. economy held steady 3.8%, BLS says, with 6.4 million people reporting as unemployed in March.
Big job gains in March were also seen in government (71,000), leisure and hospitality (49,000), and construction (39,000).
The average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls in March rose by 12 cents (0.3%) to $34.69. Over the past 12 months, average hourly earnings have increased by 4.1%. The average hourly earnings of private-sector production and nonsupervisory employees rose by 7 cents (0.2%) to $29.79.
February and March job numbers are considered preliminary by BLS, and subject to revisions.
John Commins is a content specialist and online news editor for HealthLeaders, a Simplify Compliance brand.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Ambulatory care and hospitals lead in job creation within the healthcare sector, accounting for 28,000 and 27,000 new jobs, respectively, while nursing and residential care created 17,000 jobs.
March's numbers continue a post-pandemic trend of strong job growth in healthcare, which created nearly one-in-four (23.7%) of the 303,000 new jobs in the U.S. economy.