Healthcare Jobs in Uneven Recovery after Big Spring Losses

When the danger of COVID-19 became clear this April, the healthcare sector shed 1.4 million jobs. According to this article from Healthcare Dive, Ambulatory services faced steep declines amid widespread cancelations of elective procedures, and dentists and other physicians had to lay off numerous employees due to social distancing measures. About five months after the harshest declines, some of these occupations are starting to recover.

By September, the healthcare sector added 53,000 jobs, with physician offices leading. Overall, the unemployment rate across all industries dropped to 7.9%. Though on the decline for five consecutive months, it’s still not as bad as February’s low of 3.5%.

The field with the most unstable recovery appears to be nursing and residential care facilities. They have lost jobs every month since April, a trend industry experts say was accelerated by the pandemic after being brutally hit earlier this year given their vulnerable populations.