woman with face mask down, looking out window

The healthcare industry has regained nearly 1 million jobs, or 63% of the neary 1.6 million jobs lost in March and April, according to the latest jobs report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The report finds that healthcare added 58,300 jobs in October. Nursing and residential care facilities, however, lost 8,600 jobs last month, compared with 1,600 jobs gained in September.

The October count marks the sixth consecutive month healthcare has added jobs. It also is an increase from the 52,800 healthcare jobs added in September. It is still down from the 75,300 healthcare jobs added in August and the 125,500 healthcare jobs added in July, however. 

Employment in nursing homes, which has been flat or slightly declining for several years, has fallen in each of the past eight months and is down 8.4%, or 133,000 jobs, since February, according to an analysis of the BLS data released Friday by Altarum. Other residential care, including assisted living communities and residential behavioral health, also is declining, although less steeply, down 5.8%, or 105,000 jobs since February. 

Overall, however, employment remains below pre-COVID-19 levels across all settings of care.