Nursing home jobs increased by 6,000 in May, or a 6% jump compared to the previous month, according to a new report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

The increase represents  a sizable improvement in the number of nursing home jobs compared to last May, when the number of such positions decreased by 0.1%. Operators across the country were able to add workers despite ongoing workforce pressures.

Nursing and residential care facilities comprised 3,405 of the 6,000 added jobs, and skilled nursing care facilities added 1,535 jobs, the report’s authors noted.

Continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) and “other residential care facilities” had in May added 1,003 jobs and 172 jobs respectively, according to BLS.

At the beginning of the year, nursing and residential care facilities saw 11,000 in added jobs, representing a more normalized rate of growth than previously seen.

The health care industry overall added 62,000 jobs in May, which is higher than the average monthly gain of 44,000 in the last year, according to BLS data.

For comparison, hospitals amounted to 30,000 in job gains for the month, and ambulatory health care services saw job gains of 29,000, BLS reported. The unemployment rate held at 4.2% in May, ranging between 4% and 4.2% since May 2024.

Staffing conditions for nursing homes have continued to improve this year, with operators like Florida-based Mission Health Communities continuing to build its workforce with a special focus on retaining and recruiting the right people.

Mission Health has added retention programs focused on staff input, daily pay, and scheduling, being selective about which programs really add value for staff.

The sector can still do a better job of attracting nursing students, but in terms of wages, the differential between skilled nursing and hospital is nowhere near what it was at one time, Mission Health CEO Stuart Lindeman told Skilled Nursing News last month.

Future job gains are tempered by lingering regulatory challenges, namely, the nursing home staffing levels that the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden finalized in April 2024. The federal government under President Donald Trump is challenging an April ruling that struck down the mandate requiring an estimated 102,000 more staff for nursing homes.

There’s also staff burnout to consider from administrative burdens tied to Medicare Advantage plans affecting overall job numbers, and ever increasing costs of care.