Dive Brief:
- The healthcare sector added more than 40,000 jobs last month, nearly a quarter of all new jobs added overall, the Labor Department reported.
- In the past year, the sector has added 457,000 jobs.
- Ambulatory healthcare services led the way, accounting for more than half of the growth with 21,100 jobs added.
Dive Insight:
How big is healthcare in driving the economy? According to the Labor Department, it makes up 10.7% of all jobs, or more than 15 million people.
The trends driving the growth are no surprise: An aging population and increased demand for services caused by the Affordable Care Act. Some healthcare chains already have warned this growth will decline as the gains from ACA are absorbed by the system and slow down.