WASHINGTON – Employment in the U.S. healthcare sector increased by approximately 14,500 jobs in January, while the national unemployment rate fell to 9.7 percent, according to recent data from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The biggest healthcare job gains were in ambulatory care, especially in physician offices and home healthcare services. A total of 15,300 jobs were added in ambulatory care in January. Of these jobs, 5,600 were in physicians' offices and 3,600 in home healthcare services.

Outpatient care centers actually lost 200 jobs in January.

Hospitals gained approximately 5,000 jobs in January, while overall employment in nursing and residential care facilities decreased by approximately 5,800 jobs.

Overall, total non-farm payroll employment was essentially unchanged in January, falling by 20,000, and the number of unemployed persons decreased to 14.8 million.

Since the start of the recession in December 2007, payroll employment has fallen by 8.4 million. However, employment has shown little net change over the last three months.