The health care industry added an estimated 56,700 jobs in June, up from 28,300 jobs added in May, according to a recent report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

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Health care employment grows in June

According to BLS, 372,000 jobs were added to the U.S. economy in June, and the overall unemployment rate remained steady at 3.6%.

Compared with February 2020, the health care industry is still down 176,000 jobs, or 1.1%. However, the health care industry gained 56,700 jobs in June, almost doubling the amount added in May. The industry contributed 15.2% of the total hires made across the economy in June.

Overall, ambulatory health care services, a category which includes several provider employer types, saw the largest gain of 28,200 jobs.

Nursing and residential care facilities added 8,000 jobs, and physician offices added 5,800 jobs.

Meanwhile, hospital and health systems gained 20,500 jobs in June, compared with 16,300 added in May and 4,500 in April. 

While hospital employment remained almost 60,000 jobs below its March 2020 peak, the sector has seen growth in 18 of the past 25 months, marking a slow—but consistent—recovery. However, the American Hospital Association noted that even though these gains are promising, hospitals and health systems are still facing workforce pressures and inflationary expenses that will likely persist through the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. (Rubin, Wall Street Journal, 7/8; Devereaux, Modern Healthcare, 7/8; Bhattarai, Washington Post, 7/8; AHA News, 7/8; Bean, Becker's Hospital Review, 7/8)