The US added 22,500 healthcare jobs in September, in line with its overage monthly gain over the past 12 months of 27,000 jobs, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported last week. That brings the total number of healthcare jobs to approximately 15.8 million, and the gain occurred even as total nonfarm jobs fell.
However, the agency noted that an increase in ambulatory healthcare services jobs of 25,000 was partially offset by a decline in nursing care facilities jobs of 9,000.
Temporary help jobs in all segments, not exclusively healthcare also rose. The US added 5,900 in September from August. Temp jobs also gained as a percent of total employment with the temp penetration rate reaching a high of 2.082% in September. The penetration rate in August was 2.078%.
However, total nonfarm jobs fell by 33,000 to a total of 146.7 million
Data suggest hurricanes Harvey in Texas and Irma in Florida reduced the estimate of total nonfarm payroll employment for September, according to the Bureau of Statistics, but there was no discernible effect on the national unemployment rate.
This month was a tale of two surveys, likely due to hurricanes, said Tony Gregoire, director of research for the Americas at Staffing Industry Analysts.
The total nonfarm employment drop of 33,000 comes from BLSs Establishment Survey (which only includes employees paid during the survey period, which ended September 12, two days after Hurricane Irma made landfall), Gregoire said. The drop in the unemployment rate from 4.4% to 4.2% (made even more impressive by the rise in the labor force) is from BLSs Household Survey, which includes employees not paid during the survey week under certain circumstances (one of them being prevented from working by bad weather.)
HEALTHCARE STAFFING REPORT: OCT. 12, 2017 – Staffing Industry Analyst