The October Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) 2020 Hiring Situation reported job growth of 638,000 new jobs last month, with the unemployment rate dropping down one percentage point to 6.9%. In October, employment in healthcare rose by 58,300 new jobs, with the largest gains occurring in ambulatory care settings (50,700) and hospitals (+16,200) These increases were partially offset by a decline of 9,000 in nursing and residential care facilities.
These improvements in the labor market reflect the continued resumption of economic activity that had been curtailed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and efforts to contain it.