US Health Care Hiring Slowdown Is Warning for Broader Job Market

Hiring in the US health care sector is looking increasingly shaky, raising a warning flag for the economy given its importance as a key driver of job growth over the last three years.

Health care and social assistance companies added about 47,000 employees to payrolls in August, according to a Bureau of Labor Statistics report published Friday. While it remained the largest contributor to job growth in the month, it also marked the sector’s marking the smallest increase since January 2022.

The report also showed excluding health care, the US economy has shed more than 140,000 jobs over the last ...