Jobs & HiringAug 24, 2026·3 min read·🔥 High relevance

US Labor Market Snapshot — August 2026

Indeed Hiring Lab

hiringlab.indeed.com

Aug 24, 2026

Summary

The Indeed Hiring Lab monthly snapshot of the US labor market summarizes where key indicators — job postings, wages, unemployment, and openings — stand as of August 2026, and flags the trends worth watching in the months ahead. Overall hiring demand has stayed steady in August, with postings on Indeed increasing marginally over the month and the overall level of job postings bumping along near their pre-pandemic baseline. Despite an overwhelmingly disappointing July Jobs Report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, our view of labor conditions has not changed. Year-over-year change (-2.9%) remains negative, but the decline in labor demand is nevertheless decelerating as the labor market continues to hold its course amid several headwinds. Hires, quits, and layoffs : The labor market remains stuck in the low-hire, low-fire environment that’s prevailed since last year, with the hiring rate (3.4%), quits rate (2%), and layoffs rate (1.1%) all subdued in June. This may not be purely a labor demand story . The full chartbook with additional sector, wage, and JOLTS detail is available [here] . Data on seasonally adjusted Indeed job postings are an index of the number of job postings on a given day, using a seven-day trailing average. Data on wage growth are the average year-on-year percentage changes in wages and salaries advertised in job postings on Indeed, controlling for job titles. Data on AI-related postings are the share of AI (and generative AI) job postings, as a percentage of overall job postings, using a seven-day trailing average.

From the source

The Big Picture Overall hiring demand has stayed steady in August, with postings on Indeed increasing marginally over the month and the overall level of job postings bumping along near their pre-pandemic baseline. Despite an overwhelmingly disappointing July Jobs Report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, our view of labor conditions has not changed. The labor market has descended from the near-stratospheric heights of 2021 and 2022 and is facing turbulence at lower altitudes. Meanwhile, structural changes in the labor supply are starting to disrupt the jobs market — maybe even more so than more cyclical demand. Job Postings Where we are: Indeed’s JPI (Job Postings Index) has been hovering just above pre-pandemic levels for months, standing at 101.8 as of August 14, 2026 (1.8% above its level on February 1, 2020). New postings (job postings on Indeed for 7 days or fewer) have moved slightly lower, sitting at 97.2 — about 3% below their February 2020 level. Direction of travel: Labor d

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Data on wage growth are the average year-on-year percentage changes in wages and salaries advertised in job postings on Indeed, controlling for job titles.[1]

The Retail labor market remains static, with declining job postings, limited hiring, and little movement among workers.[2]

Job postings and hiring across retail categories remain muted, but a deeper look into Bureau of Labor Statistics payroll data shows a more nuanced picture.[3]

Year-over-year change (-2.9%) remains negative, but the decline in labor demand is nevertheless decelerating as the labor market continues to hold its course amid several headwinds.[4]

Indeed Hiring Lab5h ago

Data on wage growth are the average year-on-year percentage changes in wages and salaries advertised in job postings on Indeed, controlling for job titles.

Indeed Hiring Lab(this article)Aug 24, 2026

Overall hiring demand has stayed steady in August, with postings on Indeed increasing marginally over the month and the overall level of job postings bumping along near their pre-pandemic baseline.

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The Retail labor market remains static, with declining job postings, limited hiring, and little movement among workers. The retail labor market remains static, defined by declining job postings, limited hiring, and little movement among workers. The Indeed Job Postings Index sheds light on a retail vertical that is lagging behind the rest of the labor market. Job postings and hiring across retail categories remain muted, but a deeper look into Bureau of Labor Statistics payroll data shows a more nuanced picture. While there are few job postings and little hiring activity in the retail categories, the pay picture is relatively healthy. Low quits rates mean there is less talent available and that talent is more likely to be looking for better roles after leaving their previous job. Recent Hiring Lab research shows that 16% of active job seekers already held multiple jobs while searching for another. The labor market for Retail and related categories remains mixed. Job postings are slowing, hiring rates are flat, and worker quits have only ticked up slightly. Data on wage growth are the average year-on-year percentage changes in wages and salaries advertised in job postings on Indeed, controlling for job titles.

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