Republicans are wrong again: Obamacare didn't kill jobs, it created them

D'oh.

D'oh.

Here's one more thing we now know about Obamacare that Republicans got very wrong: it is not a job killer.

[T]he latest jobs report suggests that the broader economy—and the health care sector, specifically—are adding jobs at a healthy rate.

• Since the Affordable Care Act was signed into law in March 2010, the health care industry has gained nearly 1 million jobs—982,300, to be more precise—according to Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates released on Friday.
• Meanwhile, the rest of the economy has added 7.7 million jobs since March 2010, and for the first time, more people are working since the recession began five years ago.
• Private-sector jobs also grew for the 51st straight month, Justin Wolfers observes at The Upshot, which ties the longest consecutive streak on record and overlaps with the passage of Obamacare 50 months ago. But that streak is piddling compared to health care, which just reported its 131st straight month of job gains.

It only makes sense: millions more people with coverage will increase demand for health care. Increased demand will mean the need for more people to provide the service, more people in doctors offices and hospitals doing the record keeping and business administration to take care of the influx of patients.

But maybe healthcare jobs, like government jobs, don't really count if you're a Republican. All the same, it's going to be hard for them to continue with that line with any credibility.