After the great
debate at the Supreme Court and the brouhaha after the Obama Healthcare Plan
got the nod, the healthcare industry quickly demonstrated its clout on the job
market by adding 12,000 jobs to the national economy in July, the U.S. Bureau
of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported recently.
The report
validates earlier indications that demand for healthcare was soaring, with most
of the job openings expected for medical office assistant, registered nurse,
pharmacist, clinical laboratory technician, physical therapist, occupational
therapist, paramedic, and massage therapist (not necessarily in that order).
For starters, nonfarm
payroll employment hit 163,000 in July, even as the unemployment rate essentially
held steady at 8.3 percent. Significantly, the total number of unemployed
persons, at 12.8 million, and the unemployment rate remained unchanged in July,
both showing little movement in fact since the beginning of this year.
Ambulatory care
services accounted for the biggest growth area in the healthcare sector, with 8,900
jobs. Nursing and residential care facilities, on the other hand, were the only
negatives, shedding 2,200 jobs.
In comparison, June
2012 added 64,000 jobs to the economy, 13,000 of them healthcare jobs. May 2012
was significantly more robust though, with healthcare growing by a whopping 33,000
jobs.
The BLS report also
indicated that employment improved in professional and business services, food
services, and drinking places and manufacturing.