National jobless rate edges upward slightly in June

© Stephen VanHorn - stock.adobe.com

The national unemployment rate for June was 4.1%, with health care job gains slowing down from recent months.

Total nonfarm payroll employment grew by 206,000 last month as the national unemployment rate crept up from 4% in May, according to the latest preliminary figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

The health care sector added 49,000 jobs, lower than the average monthly gain of 64,000 new jobs over the last 12 months, the report said. Ambulatory health care services added 22,000 jobs and hospitals hired 21,700 staffers. Offices of physicians added 11,800 new positions, with 6,100 new jobs in offices of other health practitioners, 4,400 people in offices of dentists, and 4,300 in outpatient care centers.

Home health care services dropped by 3,500 jobs, while medical and diagnostic laboratories employment dipped by 1,200, according to BLS.

In other sectors, government employment rose by 70,000 jobs more than the average gain of 49,000 jobs a month in the last year. Education added 34,000 posts and state government added 26,000 workers.

Social assistance employment rose by 34,000 workers in June, mostly due to 26,000 jobs in individual and family services. That sector has added an average of 22,000 jobs a month in the past year.

Construction grew by 27,000 jobs last month, more than the average monthly gain of 20,000 jobs in the last 12 months.

Professional and business services decreased by 16,000, while retail employment declined by 9,000. The BLS report said job figures were stable across other major sectors including mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction; manufacturing; wholesale trade; transportation and warehousing; information; financial activities; leisure and hospitality.