Job growth at skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) essentially stayed unchanged in August compared to a month ago, according to data released Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Seasonally adjusted employment for SNFs rose from 1.5901 million in July to 1.5902 million in August.
Meanwhile, healthcare hiring overall remained positive but sluggish, with job gains increasingly concentrated in home health and hospitals rather than nursing and residential care.
Within that broader category, BLS reported 3.496 million seasonally adjusted jobs across nursing and residential care facilities in August, down 1,800 from July.
Skilled nursing facilities bucked that decline by posting the modest increase of 100 jobs.
On a longer-term basis, skilled nursing employment remains above year-ago levels. Seasonally adjusted employment stood at 1.5574 million in August 2025, compared with 1.5902 million in August 2026, posting an increase of roughly 32,800 jobs, or 2.1%, over the year.
(Source: The Bureau of Labor Statistics)
Slowdown from a month ago
The August results mark a significant slowdown from July. In the prior month, BLS reported that skilled nursing care facilities added 3,200 jobs, as part of a broader increase in healthcare employment.
The broader healthcare sector continued to add jobs in August, but at a slower pace. Healthcare employment increased by 13,000 jobs, compared with an average monthly gain of 32,000 over the previous 12 months. August gains were concentrated in home health care services, which added 11,000 jobs, and hospitals, which added 8,000 jobs. Employment in residential intellectual and developmental disability, mental health and substance abuse facilities fell by 1,200 jobs.
Home health services also led healthcare job growth in July, adding 4,600 jobs, followed by skilled nursing, which added 3,200 and continuing care retirement/life plan communities and assisted living communities, which are grouped together in the BLS data, with 1,800 jobs.
The relative stability in skilled nursing employment comes as overall U.S. labor-market growth accelerated in August.
Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 162,000, well above the average monthly gain of 31,000 over the previous 12 months.
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