The latest raw data released on Feb. 11 for skilled nursing facility (SNF) employment is good, but experts in the sector’s workforce management space say there is even better news beyond the headlines.

First off, Wednesday morning the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) said SNFs added 6,000 jobs in January compared to December the month prior. Year-to-year, SNFs employed 52,900 more people in January of this year when compared to January 2025 at 1,575,600 workers vs. 1,522,700 workers, respectively. All numbers are seasonally adjusted.

Overall, the national jobs picture surprised Wall Street with BLS saying employers added 130,000 jobs in January, putting the unemployment rate at 4.3 percent vs. 4.4 percent in December.

Now, for the even more positive news in the SNF universe. Matthew Barndt, vice president of risk management for Healthcare Services Group (HCSG), said BLS revised higher both the November and December SNF jobs data.

“From our perspective it’s nice to see the revisions put the industry workforce back on trend,” he said. Originally, the December jobs data from BLS showed a 3,900 decline in jobs when compared to November, but that number was revised to a 2,100 jobs gain.

The original report for December struck Barndt as “odd” given the trend seen over the last year for steady job additions to the SNF sector. He said the government shutdown may have played a factor and the BLS simply needed more time to gather accurate information. “Now, we are more back on trend,” Barndt said.

HCSG is a leader in the long-term care space in providing housekeeping, dining, and nutritional services for residents across the care spectrum. The group tracks employment trends closely, especially for job openings and applications in SNFs, as it acquires talents for its many provider clients.  

HCSG Data Points to More Job Seekers

Darlene Rencher, director of recruiting and talent acquisition for HCSG, said January produced an uptick in the number of applications the company recorded as more people looked for work post-holiday.

“BLS data said there were 130,000 new jobs [across the nation for all sectors] and of that 82,000 were in healthcare, with nursing and residential care up 13,000. So, we are seeing more people look for work and applying in those sectors,” she said.

Dee Huard, senior vice president of human resources, HCSG, said the fact the national unemployment rate ticked down a little could have an impact on the SNF sector, but regardless of macro factors, the evidence is clear “there is a pretty steady flow of candidates” out there for skilled nursing operators to choose from in the non-clinical jobs that HCSG focuses on. 

HCSG tracks various hiring data points and points to strong application rates and applicants per job as metrics that reflect job seekers’ interest. 

Questions or comments? Contact Patrick Connole at pconnole@parkplacelive.com.