Staffing at nursing homes nearly back-up to pre-covid levels

(CNN)– New data suggests staffing at U.S. nursing homes is nearly back up to pre-covid levels.

The hit to staffing at nursing and residential care facilities was the worst of any area of the health industry during the pandemic.

That translated to fewer available beds for patients between 2019 and 2024.

Preliminary federal data shows U.S. care facilities employed about three-and-a-half million people as of May.

That’s up from around two-point-nine million at the industry’s weakest staffing point in January of 2022.