Healthcare employers added an estimated 70,000 jobs in July as hiring rose from the previous month, according to preliminary Bureau of Labor Statistics data released Friday. 

The overall jobless rate was 3.5% last month, with approximately 5.7 million people unemployed. The unemployment rate has now rebounded to its level from February 2020, the month before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the U.S.

The economy gained 528,000 jobs in July, led by gains in leisure and hospitality, professional and business services, and healthcare. An estimated 2.2 million people reported being unable to work last month due to closures or lost business linked to the pandemic.

The BLS also revised its May and June jobs data. Overall, the economy added 28,000 more jobs in those months than originally reported.