Although many parts of the economy are slowing down and many industries are cutting employees, more healthcare jobs are being added.

Although the national unemployment rate jumped to 5.7 percent in July, according to the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, the healthcare industry added 33,000 jobs. The industry added 34,000 jobs in June, while most other industries showed a decrease in employment.

Of the jobs added in July, about 10,000 were in hospitals and 21,000 were in ambulatory healthcare or outpatient medical office-based jobs. Since July 2007, the healthcare industry has added a total of 368,000 jobs nationwide.

Healthcare was the largest industry in 2006, employing 14 million people, and 7 of the 20 fastest growing occupations are healthcare related. Healthcare is expected to generate 3 million new wage and salary jobs through 2016, more than any other industry, according to an article by the BLS.

About 580,000 establishments make up the healthcare industry, varying greatly in terms of size, staffing and organizational structure. Of healthcare establishments, 77 percent are offices of physicians, dentists or other health practitioners. Although hospitals make up only 1 percent of all healthcare establishments, they employe 35 percent of all healthcare workers.

"The health care industry includes establishments ranging from small-town private practices of physicians who employ only one medical assistant to busy inner-city hospitals that provide thousands of diverse jobs," the article notes. "In 2006, almost half of non-hospital health care establishments employed fewer than five workers. By contrast, 7 out of 10 hospital employees were in establishments with more than 1,000 workers."

The healthcare industry consists of nine segments, including: hospitals, nursing and residential care facilities, offices of physicians, offices of dentists, home health care services, offices of other health practitioners, outpatient care centers, other ambulatory healthcare services and medical and diagnostic laboratories.

Labels: Healthcare Jobs