Ambulatory healthcare and hospitals saw biggest March gains in within the sector.
The latest employment numbers released by the federal government indicate that healthcare remains among the major industry sectors driving jobs growth.
More than 22,000 healthcare jobs were added in March, keeping roughly in line with the average number of healthcare jobs added for each of the past 12 months, according to data released Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
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Within healthcare, the largest gains were among ambulatory healthcare services (16,000 jobs) and hospitals (10,000 jobs). Nursing and residential care facilities, meanwhile, lost nearly 4,000 jobs in March.
These overall numbers are not surprising. Healthcare occupations were projected to grow by 18%, or 2.4 million jobs, from 2016 to 2026, according to BLS analysis. The strength of the healthcare sector is attributed largely to the aging U.S. population, which drives demand for services.
But this rising demand coincides also with rising healthcare spending, which is projected to grow by 5.5% each year through 2026, outpacing American spending in other sectors.
Steven Porter is an associate content manager and Strategy editor for HealthLeaders, a Simplify Compliance brand.