Healthcare provides Rx for Atlanta's tough job market

With metro Atlanta's unemployment rate at 9.6% and still climbing, the hiring continues in healthcare. In the past year, the private sector in metro Atlanta has bled 137,700 jobs—including 16,800 in retail, 28,700 in administrative support and more than 30,000 in construction. Yet healthcare added 5,000 jobs. Ambulatory care was up 2,300 jobs and hospital payrolls expanded by 1,500.