Healthcare has been propping up a shaky labor market. For the first time in over four years, the sector shed thousands of jobs

A woman in a red coat holds up a sign that says, “Shouldn’t hurt to be a nurse.” (Credit: Selcuk Acar/Anadolu—Getty Images)

Despite making up nearly a fifth of the U.S. economy and providing a much-needed set of crutches, the latest health care jobs data highlights just how wobbly the labor market is.

Over 28,000 jobs in the health care industry were lost in February, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics jobs report on Friday, making up nearly one-third of the 92,000 total jobs lost for the month. The dip marks the sector’s first decline in more than four years.