The One Bright Spot in Our Severe Unemployment Landscape

Current American employment and unemployment statistics are dismal, except for health care which is helping to carry our economy.  Government reports show increasing non-health industry numbers for the unemployed and  underemployed. Congress, in its infinite wisdom, may  pass health reform legislation which profits its political contributors and philosophical allies, but cripples our health care system and puts health care workers out on the street for "efficiency's sake" while protecting those in the financial industry who are responsible for our economy's collapse. 
 

This is a dangerous time for health care and for our economy.

In summary of the report:

1. In August, the number of unemployed persons increased by 466,000 to 14.9 million, and the unemployment 

rate rose by 0.3 percentage point to 9.7 percent. The rate had been little changed in June and July, after increasing 0.4 or 0.5 percentage point in each month from December 2008
through May. Since the recession began in December 2007, the number of unemployed persons has risen by 7.4 

million, and the unemployment rate has grown by 4.8 percentage points. 

2. Total non-farm payroll employment declined by 216,000 in August. Since December 2007, employment has

fallen by 6.9 million. In recent months, job losses have moderated in many major industry sectors. In August, 

construction employment declined by 65,000, in line with  the trend since May. Monthly losses had averaged

117,000 over the 6 months ending in April. Employment in the construction industry has contracted by 1.4 million

since the onset of the recession. Starting in early 2009, the larger share of monthly job losses shifted from 

the residential to the nonresidential and heavy construction components. In mining, employment 

declined by 9,000 over the month.

In August, manufacturing employment continued to trend downward, with a decline of 63,000. The pace of job loss 

has slowed throughout manufacturing in recent months. Motor vehicles and parts lost 15,000 jobs
in August, partly offsetting a 31,000 employment increase in July.

Financial activities shed 28,000 jobs in August, with declines spread throughout the industry. Job loss in 

financial activities has slowed since the beginning of the year. Employment in the industry has declined by 

537,000 since the start of the recession.

Wholesale trade employment fell by 17,000 in August. Employment in information continued to trend down 

over the month.

Employment in the retail trade industry was little changed in August. Employment also was little changed 

in professional and business services over the month. From May through August, monthly employment
declines in the sector averaged 46,000, compared with 138,000 per month from November through April. 

Job loss in its temporary help services component has slowed markedly over the last 4 months.

Employment was little changed in August both in transportation and warehousing, and in leisure and hospitality.

3. Employment in health care continued to rise in August (28,000), with gains in ambulatory care and in nursing and residential care. Employment in hospitals was little changed in August; job growth in the industry slowed in early 2009 and employment has been flat since May.  Health care has added 544,000 jobs since the start of the recession.