Nearly one in four jobs created so far in 2016 is in the healthcare sector.
The healthcare sector created 234,600 jobs in the first half of 2016, including 39,000 new jobs in June, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
The 2016 growth is outpacing the 225,300 healthcare jobs created in the first six months of 2015, a year that finished with a record 471,600 new jobs in the healthcare sector, according to BLS data.
Nearly one in four jobs created so far in 2016 is in the healthcare sector.
A further breakdown of BLS data shows that ambulatory services created 127,000 new jobs so far this year, compared with 133,700 jobs for the first six months of 2015. Hospitals created 90,000 jobs so far in 2016, compared with 74,400 new jobs for the first half of 2015.
Nursing and residential care facilities, the third pillar of healthcare job growth, created 18,200 jobs in the first six months of 2016, compared with 17,200 new jobs in the first half of 2015.
June and May job numbers are considered preliminary by BLS and can be subject to considerable revision.
The 234,600 healthcare jobs created in the first six months of 2016 represent about 23% of the 1 million nonfarm jobs created in the overall economy so far this year.
There were 15.5 million jobs in the healthcare sector in June, including 7.1 million in ambulatory care, 5.1 million at hospitals, and 3.3 million in residential and nursing homes.
June job growth in the overall economy was robust, especially when compared with anemic numbers from May. BLS reported that total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 287,000 in the month, although the unemployment rate rose 0.2% to 4.9%.
In addition to healthcare, other sectors that saw strong job growth in June include leisure and hospitality, social assistance, and financial activities. Employment also increased in the information sector, mostly reflecting the return of striking Verizon workers.