Playing catch-up after the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on Thursday released its September employment report, which showed skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) added 200 jobs in September when compared to August to put employment at 1,554,800 in September vs. 1,554,600 in August.

All numbers are seasonally adjusted.

When compared to September 2024, there was a more pronounced positive result for SNF employment. BLS said year-on-year, SNFs employed 57,100 more people in September 2025 than in September 2024.

Mark Parkinson, CEO of Park Place Live, said the yearly momentum for more employment in the sector is a good indicator. "It is encouraging that we've gained 50,000 workers in the past year. We are essentially back to pre-pandemic employment levels. It's still hard to find staff, particularly in rural areas, but it's great to see continued improvement," he said.

Overall, BLS said the national unemployment rate stood at 4.4 percent in September, the highest level since October 2021. Still, non-farm payrolls for September rose 119,000, more than twice what Wall Street experts expected. Initial reactions on the stock market futures markets were favorable as a result of the BLS data and other factors.

The next BLS employment report is scheduled for release on Dec. 5, which will detail November jobs data. Due to the shutdown, the government will not release a full October jobs report.

Comments or questions? Contact Patrick Connole at pconnole@parkplacelive.com.