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Health care added only 18,000 jobs in January 2017, the slowest monthly increase since January 2014, which marked the onset of the expanded coverage provisions of the Affordable Care Act.
Health care added a whopping 43,000 jobs in December, well above the 12-month average of 35,000 jobs, and bucking a 4-month trend of below-average growth.
National health spending in October 2016 grew at an annual rate of 5.5%, driven up by the hospital component (6.6% growth) and dampened by prescription drugs (3.5% growth).
Health care added 30,500 jobs in October, a bit less than the 12-month average of 34,600 jobs. By several metrics, health job growth peaked in mid-2015 and has been slowing gradually through 2016.
At a $3.40 trillion annual rate, national health spending in August 2016 was 5.5% higher than health spending in August 2015.
Health care added 14,000 jobs in August, the lowest level of growth since April 2014 when the acceleration in hiring, fueled by expanded coverage, began.
National health spending in June 2016 was 5.2% higher than in June 2015, totaling $3.36 trillion (seasonally adjusted annual rate).
National health spending in May 2016 was 5.0% higher than in May 2015. Spending on prescription drugs dropped to 5.2% growth, continuing its decline from the 12.2% spike in 2014.