The healthcare industry added 28,400 jobs last month, with hospitals contributing just 5,500 to that total, according to the most recent jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Here are five things to know.
1. November marked a slower month for hospitals. In October, hospitals added 10,500 jobs, according to the most recent seasonally adjusted numbers.
2. Ambulatory healthcare services showed the biggest employment growth in the industry last month, with employment growing by 22,200 in places like physician offices (7,400 jobs), outpatient care centers (5,300 jobs) and home healthcare services (2,200 jobs).
3. Within healthcare, only medical and diagnostic laboratories and nursing care facilities recorded job losses in November.
4. In the last 12 months, the healthcare industry added 407,000 jobs.
5. Overall, the nation's unemployment rate declined to 4.6 percent in November and total nonfarm payroll employment grew by 178,000.