The new stats are consistent with the average 58,000 jobs the sector created over each of the past 12 months.
Healthcare created 52,000 jobs in October, one of the few bright spots in a month that saw only 12,000 net jobs created in a U.S. economy disrupted by two hurricanes and labor unrest.
It's the fourth straight month of robust healthcare job growth and in line with the average 58,000 jobs the sector created each month over the past 12 months. The growth came from ambulatory services (36,000), nursing home and residential care services (9,000), and hospitals (8,000), according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' October jobs report.
There were 17.8 million workers in the healthcare sector in October, an increased of 691,000 since October 2023, BLS data show.
The robust job growth in the healthcare sector and in government (45,000) was offset by job losses mostly in temp services (-49,000), and manufacturing (-46,000).
The 12,000 jobs created in the overall economy in October was well below the average 202,000 jobs created on average over the past 12 months. Analysts blamed two hurricanes that devastated Florida's Gulf Coast, western North Carolina and other Southeastern states, and an ongoing strike by 33,000 workers at aircraft maker Boeing for the lower-than-projected job growth, the results of which were released just four days before the presidential election.
"Economists from across the political spectrum have been out there saying this report is going to be weird," Martha Gimbel, executive director of the Budget Lab at Yale, tells POLITICO. "Obviously, there are people who are going to want to take a low number and spin it for their own political ends."
The unemployment rate in the larger U.S. economy was unchanged at 4.1%, BLS says, with 7 million people reporting as unemployed in October. The jobless rate in October 2023 was 3.8%, with 6.4 million unemployed.
The average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls in October rose by 13 cents (0.4%) to $35.46. Over the past 12 months, average hourly earnings have increased by 4%. The average hourly earnings of private-sector production and nonsupervisory employees in October rose by 12 cents (0.4%) to $30.48.
August and September job numbers are considered preliminary by BLS, and subject to revision. August job growth was revised downwards to 78,000 jobs, and September job growth was revised downward to 233,000, and the combined revision for the two months means that there were 112,000 fewer jobs than previously reported, BLS says.
“Economists from across the political spectrum have been out there saying this report is going to be weird. Obviously, there are people who are going to want to take a low number and spin it for their own political ends.”
Martha Gimbel, executive director, Budget Lab at Yale
John Commins is the news editor for HealthLeaders.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The 52,000 new jobs were created in ambulatory services (36,000), nursing home and residential care services (9,000), and hospitals (8,000).
The unemployment rate in the larger U.S. economy held at 4.1% with 7 million people reporting as unemployed in October.
The average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls in September rose by 13 cents (0.4%) to $35.46.