Neighboring Sonora, Mexico, continues to add formal jobs, with October surpassing pre-pandemic employment figures.

Sonora added about 5,000 formal jobs last month, bringing the total to about 645,000 jobs at the end of October.

That’s just more than the state reported in February 2020 — the last full month of employment data before the pandemic. Nationwide, formal jobs also surpassed pre-pandemic figures for the first time in October.

Service jobs made up the greatest portion of employment growth in Sonora last month as COVID-19 cases and deaths declined, allowing many bars, restaurants and other businesses to more fully reopen.

These jobs figures don’t include data on the significant informal workforce in Sonora and across Mexico.