Healthcare Job Growth Remained Flat in December; Record Resignations Impact Industry

The final 2021 U.S. Labor Department Employment Situation Report once again provided evidence that COVID, in particular the spread of the Omicron variant, has restrained job growth.  A smaller-than-expected 199,000 jobs were added in December 2021 and the unemployment rate hit edged down to 3.9% from 4.2% . Furthermore, according to the Bureau's Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS), workers left their jobs at record-breaking pace of 4.5 million resignations.

The healthcare sector recorded a loss of 3,100 jobs and 52,000 resignations took place within the larger healthcare and social-assistance industry. The healthcare sector gained 143,800 jobs in 2021, remains down 449,500 jobs since pre-pandemic levels.