The ambulatory sector saw the most job growth during the first month of 2023.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the healthcare sector was among the top sectors to experience widespread growth during January 2023.
Healthcare added 58,000 jobs last month, with significant growth experienced in the ambulatory healthcare sector (+30,000 jobs.) Additionally, nursing and residential care facilities gained 17,000 jobs while hospitals gained 11,000 jobs.
The sector is continuing steady job growth from the end of 2022, which gained 55,000 jobs in December. Last year, healthcare added an average of 47,000 jobs per month.
A big focus for hospitals and health systems will continue to be to fill critically needed doctor, nurse, and staff positions, a feat which has plagued the healthcare sector long before the COVID-19 pandemic.
This is quite a difference from the 18,000 jobs added in January 2022, and hopefully reflects positive job growth for the year. But we'll have to wait and see if the sector continues its upwards trajectory.
Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 517,000 in January, according to the BLS. This caused little change to the 3.4% unemployment rate.
In addition to the healthcare sector, widespread job gains were also experienced in the leisure and hospitality sector and the professional and business services sector.
Melanie Blackman is a contributing editor for strategy, marketing, and human resources at HealthLeaders, an HCPro brand.