Indeed's Unique Window into Labor Demand
The Indeed Hiring Lab represents one of the most comprehensive real-time views of U.S. labor demand available to economists, policymakers, and practitioners. With over 250 million unique monthly visitors and approximately 2.5 million active job postings at any given time, Indeed's platform captures employer hiring intentions across virtually every industry, occupation, and geographic market in the United States, complementing insights from JOLTS data on job openings and labor market flows alongside Bureau of Labor Statistics employment reports and distributional wage growth analysis while supporting staffing industry trend forecasting.
Unlike traditional labor market indicators that rely on surveys or administrative data with inherent lags, Indeed's metrics provide near real-time insights into employer behavior and compensation offerings that reflect current market pressures. The July 2025 release revealed a labor market in transition, with job postings moderating from pandemic-era peaks while wage growth trajectories show signs of deceleration toward more sustainable levels, patterns that align with broader employment situation trends and job switcher compensation dynamics while informing small business hiring strategies and technology sector recruitment evolution.
The job postings index, which measures total posting volume against a February 2020 baseline, stood at 43% above pre-pandemic levels in July 2025. This represents a significant moderation from the 65% peak reached in March 2025, suggesting that the extraordinary labor demand of the post-pandemic recovery may be normalizing toward more typical patterns. However, the persistent elevation above 2020 levels indicates that fundamental demand for workers remains robust across most sectors, particularly evident in small business hiring challenges and retail and warehouse talent competition while supporting seasonal hospitality workforce expansion and professional mobility opportunities.
This normalization process reflects multiple underlying factors. Federal Reserve monetary tightening has begun to cool economic activity, reducing employer expansion plans and hiring needs. Supply chain stabilization has allowed companies to operate more efficiently with existing staffing levels. Additionally, the massive hiring surge of 2021-2023 may have satisfied much of the pent-up demand for workers that accumulated during the pandemic disruptions, creating patterns that contrast with continued aggressive hiring in specific sectors like technology while aligning with strategic workforce adjustments and specialized skill shortage pressures alongside professional network-driven hiring trends.
The posted wage growth data provides equally important insights into compensation trends. Year-over-year wage growth in job postings decelerated to 3.8% in July, the slowest pace since August 2024. This deceleration suggests that employers are becoming less aggressive in compensation offerings as labor market conditions moderate, though the pace remains above pre-pandemic norms when wage growth in postings typically ranged from 2.5-3.0%, patterns that complement Employment Cost Index trends and job switcher pay premiums while informing financial sector compensation strategies.
Sectoral Divergence: Technology Contracts While Healthcare Expands
The industry breakdown of posting trends reveals dramatic divergence across sectors, reflecting different competitive dynamics, technological disruption, and fundamental demand patterns. Software development, which had been a primary driver of posting growth throughout the post-pandemic period, declined 12% year-over-year in July, representing one of the largest sectoral contractions in the Indeed dataset, trends that align with technology sector employment polarization and AI-powered recruiting transformation while contrasting with biotechnology sector expansion and renewable energy workforce demands.
This software development decline reflects multiple converging factors. Technology companies have completed much of their post-pandemic hiring surge and are now optimizing headcount levels. Artificial intelligence and automation tools are beginning to enhance developer productivity, potentially reducing demand for additional headcount. Additionally, high interest rates have disproportionately affected technology valuations, leading to more cautious hiring approaches across the sector, developments that support AI ethics and governance hiring while driving cryptocurrency and blockchain talent specialization and emerging technology center growth.
Within software development, different specialties showed varying patterns. Frontend and backend web development postings declined 15% and 18% respectively, while AI/machine learning roles continued growing at 8% annually. Mobile app development postings fell 22%, reflecting market maturation and platform consolidation, while cybersecurity development roles grew 12%, driven by persistent security threats and regulatory requirements, patterns that benefit cybersecurity workforce development initiatives and financial sector security staffing while supporting international talent recruitment strategies and technology skills apprenticeship programs.
Healthcare postings surged 28% year-over-year, representing the strongest growth across all major sectors. This expansion reflects persistent staffing challenges that have outlasted acute pandemic pressures, driven by demographic trends, expanded service delivery models, and continued recovery in elective procedures and routine care, trends that align with nursing shortage recovery initiatives and telehealth workforce development while supporting social services integration efforts and healthcare call center modernization.
Within healthcare, nursing postings led growth at 34% annually, with specialized nursing roles like critical care, operating room, and emergency medicine showing even stronger increases. Physician postings grew 22%, with primary care and mental health specialties showing particularly robust demand. Healthcare support roles, including medical assistants and pharmacy technicians, expanded 31%, indicating broad-based staffing needs across healthcare delivery systems, developments that support educational institution healthcare programs and healthcare worker unionization trends while driving environmental and social governance hiring initiatives.
The healthcare posting surge was geographically widespread, with even traditionally well-staffed metropolitan areas showing significant increases in medical job postings. Rural and small metropolitan areas showed the largest relative increases, reflecting ongoing challenges in recruiting healthcare professionals to less populous regions.
Construction and skilled trades postings jumped 18% monthly in July, driven by infrastructure investment programs and continued residential construction demand. This surge was particularly pronounced in specialties like electrical work (+26%), plumbing (+22%), and HVAC installation (+31%), reflecting both new construction needs and retrofit activities related to energy efficiency and electrification initiatives.
Professional services postings showed mixed patterns, with consulting and advisory services declining 8% year-over-year while legal services increased 6%. Accounting and tax preparation services expanded 12%, driven by regulatory complexity and business formation activity. Architecture and engineering services grew 15%, supported by infrastructure and construction activity.
Manufacturing postings increased 6% annually, a modest but significant expansion reflecting both reshoring trends and automation-related workforce needs. Advanced manufacturing roles requiring technical skills showed stronger growth than traditional production positions, indicating continued evolution toward higher-skill manufacturing employment.
Remote Work Stabilization: The New Equilibrium
One of the most closely watched trends in Indeed's data has been the evolution of remote work offerings, which reached historic highs during the pandemic before declining as employers sought to return workers to offices. July 2025 data suggests that remote job postings have stabilized at 15.2% of total postings, representing a new equilibrium that balances employer preferences for in-person collaboration with worker demands for location flexibility.
This 15.2% share represents a decline from pandemic peaks above 20% but remains dramatically elevated compared to pre-2020 levels below 3%. The stabilization suggests that both employers and workers have adapted to remote work as a permanent feature of the labor market, though not to the extent that some predicted during the early pandemic period.
Industry patterns in remote work offerings showed predictable variations. Information technology and computer services maintained the highest share of remote postings at 45%, though this represents a decline from peaks above 60%. Professional services offered remote work in 28% of postings, while financial services provided remote options in 22% of positions.
Traditional industries showed more limited but still significant remote work adoption. Healthcare offered remote work in 8% of postings, primarily for telehealth, administrative, and consulting roles. Manufacturing provided remote options in 4% of positions, typically for engineering, design, and management functions.
Geographic patterns in remote work postings revealed interesting dynamics. Metropolitan areas with high costs of living, particularly San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles, offered remote work in higher percentages of postings, potentially reflecting employer recognition that location flexibility helps offset cost-of-living disadvantages.
Smaller metropolitan areas and rural regions showed lower percentages of remote work postings, but those that were offered often attracted applications from much broader geographic areas. This dynamic creates both opportunities for rural job seekers to access higher-paying remote positions and challenges for local employers competing with national markets for talent.
The stabilization of remote work postings at 15.2% has important implications for workplace strategy, real estate demand, and regional economic development. This level suggests that remote work has become a standard job feature rather than a temporary pandemic accommodation, requiring sustained adaptation from both employers and workers.
Entry-Level Market Contraction: Implications for New Graduates
Perhaps one of the most concerning trends in the Indeed data is the 8% decline in entry-level position postings below the February 2020 baseline. This contraction suggests that employers have become more selective in hiring recent graduates and inexperienced workers, with implications for career development, skill formation, and long-term economic growth.
The entry-level posting decline appears concentrated in certain sectors and skill categories. Business and administrative entry-level roles fell 15% below 2020 levels, while technology entry-level positions declined 22%. However, healthcare entry-level postings increased 12%, and skilled trades apprenticeships and entry positions grew 18%, indicating sector-specific variation in hiring approaches.
Several factors likely contribute to reduced entry-level hiring. Employers may prefer experienced workers who require less training and onboarding investment, particularly important when overall hiring volumes are moderating. Technology automation may be reducing demand for certain entry-level administrative and analytical roles. Additionally, remote work may make it more challenging to provide the close supervision and mentoring that entry-level workers typically require.
The geographic distribution of entry-level posting declines showed concerning patterns. Major metropolitan areas that traditionally absorbed large numbers of new graduates, including New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, showed entry-level postings 12-15% below 2020 levels. This concentration in major cities may force new graduates to consider opportunities in smaller metropolitan areas or different career paths.
Educational requirements in job postings have continued to evolve, with many positions that previously accepted entry-level candidates now requiring 1-2 years of experience. This "experience inflation" creates challenges for recent graduates seeking to enter the workforce and may contribute to longer job search periods for new entrants.
Industry-specific patterns in entry-level hiring reflect different approaches to talent development. Technology companies have reduced entry-level hiring while expanding internship and apprenticeship programs that provide more structured pathways to employment. Healthcare organizations have maintained entry-level hiring for clinical roles while reducing administrative entry positions.
The implications for educational institutions and workforce development programs are significant. Career services offices report longer job search times for new graduates, while employers express concerns about candidates' practical skills and workplace readiness. This mismatch suggests potential needs for enhanced experiential learning, internship programs, and industry-education partnerships.
Mountain West Leads Regional Job Growth
Geographic analysis of Indeed's postings data reveals striking variation across metropolitan areas, with Mountain West regions demonstrating the strongest labor demand indicators. Denver leads all major metropolitan areas with postings 89% above February 2020 baseline, followed by Salt Lake City (84%), Phoenix (79%), and Austin (76%).
The Mountain West's exceptional performance reflects multiple economic drivers. Population growth from domestic migration has expanded local consumer markets and created demand for housing, services, and infrastructure. Business relocations from higher-cost regions have brought employment opportunities across multiple sectors. Additionally, the region's relatively favorable regulatory and tax environments have attracted both startup companies and established businesses seeking expansion locations.
Denver's posting surge has been broad-based, with particular strength in professional services (+95% above 2020), technology (+67%), and healthcare (+112%). The metropolitan area's emergence as a major financial services center has contributed to strong demand for banking, investment, and insurance professionals. Additionally, Denver's position as a regional headquarters location for national companies has generated demand for management and administrative roles.
Salt Lake City's growth has been driven by its "Silicon Slopes" technology cluster, which has attracted major companies like Adobe, eBay, and Qualtrics while fostering a thriving startup ecosystem. The region's postings show particular strength in software development (+78%), digital marketing (+89%), and business services (+71%). Additionally, Salt Lake City's position as a distribution and logistics hub has generated substantial demand for transportation and warehousing roles.
Phoenix's posting growth reflects both population expansion and economic diversification. The metropolitan area has successfully attracted manufacturing operations, particularly in aerospace and electronics, while expanding its service sector employment base. Healthcare postings have been particularly strong (+103% above 2020) as the region's growing and aging population requires expanded medical services.
At the other end of the spectrum, several traditionally strong metropolitan areas have shown more modest posting growth. San Francisco postings are just 12% above 2020 levels, reflecting technology sector moderation and continued challenges with cost of living and business operations. New York postings are 18% above baseline, while Los Angeles shows 22% growth, both well below national averages.
The Northeast region generally has shown the most modest posting growth, with Boston at 28% above baseline and Philadelphia at 31%. These mature metropolitan areas face challenges including limited land availability, high operating costs, and regulatory complexity that may constrain business expansion and job creation.
Midwest metropolitan areas have shown mixed performance, with Chicago at 35% above baseline while Detroit and Cleveland show 41% and 43% respectively. These patterns suggest that Midwest regions may be benefiting from business relocations and reshoring trends while maintaining more favorable cost structures than coastal alternatives.
Southern metropolitan areas have generally performed well, with Atlanta at 52% above baseline, Dallas at 58%, and Houston at 49%. These regions continue to attract business investments and population growth while maintaining competitive operating environments.
Wage Trends by Occupation: Healthcare Leads, Technology Moderates
Analysis of posted wage growth by occupation category reveals significant dispersion that reflects different competitive dynamics and skill demand patterns across the labor market. Healthcare occupations led all major categories with 6.2% year-over-year wage growth in postings, while computer and mathematical occupations showed more modest 4.1% increases.
Within healthcare occupations, specialized roles commanded the highest wage growth. Nurse practitioners and physician assistants showed 8.3% posted wage increases, while registered nurses achieved 7.1% growth. Mental health professionals, including therapists and counselors, demonstrated 7.8% wage growth as demand for behavioral health services continues expanding.
Healthcare support roles also showed strong wage growth, with medical assistants achieving 6.8% increases and pharmacy technicians gaining 6.4%. Even traditionally lower-wage healthcare roles like home health aides showed 5.9% wage growth, indicating broad-based compensation pressure across the healthcare sector.
Computer and mathematical occupations, while still showing above-average wage growth, have moderated significantly from the double-digit increases common in 2022-2023. Software developers achieved 4.1% posted wage growth, while data scientists showed 4.8% increases. Cybersecurity specialists maintained stronger 6.2% wage growth, reflecting persistent security threats and regulatory requirements.
The moderation in technology wage growth reflects both increased labor supply as coding bootcamps and computer science programs have expanded enrollment, and reduced demand as technology companies optimize headcount levels following rapid expansion periods.
Skilled trades occupations showed robust wage growth, with electricians achieving 5.7% increases, plumbers gaining 5.4%, and HVAC technicians showing 6.1% growth. Construction supervisors and project managers demonstrated even stronger 6.8% wage increases as infrastructure investment drives demand for experienced construction management talent.
Transportation and logistics occupations showed mixed patterns, with truck drivers achieving 4.9% wage growth while warehouse workers gained 4.2%. Logistics coordinators and supply chain managers demonstrated stronger 5.8% increases, reflecting continued complexity in supply chain management and the premium placed on experienced professionals.
Sales occupations varied widely by industry and seniority level. Enterprise software sales representatives showed 5.9% wage growth, while retail sales positions gained just 3.1%. Real estate sales professionals achieved 4.7% increases, though this masks significant regional variation based on local housing market conditions.
Professional occupations demonstrated moderate wage growth, with accountants and financial analysts showing 4.3% increases, lawyers gaining 4.6%, and management consultants achieving 5.1% growth. These levels represent normalization from the higher increases these professions experienced during the immediate post-pandemic period.
Small Business Posting Trends: Challenges for Smaller Employers
One of the most significant trends in Indeed's data is the continued weakness in small business job postings, which declined to 22% below February 2020 levels in July 2025. This pattern suggests that smaller employers face greater challenges in the current labor market environment, with implications for entrepreneurship, innovation, and regional economic development.
Small businesses (defined as companies with fewer than 50 employees) have historically been major sources of job creation and economic dynamism. Their reduced posting activity suggests several possible challenges: difficulty competing with larger employers on compensation and benefits, limited resources for recruiting and talent acquisition, or greater sensitivity to economic uncertainty and regulatory compliance costs.
Industry patterns in small business posting activity show significant variation. Small technology startups have reduced postings by 31% compared to 2020, while small healthcare practices have maintained posting levels closer to baseline (-8%). Small professional services firms show postings 18% below 2020 levels, while small construction companies have actually increased postings by 12%.
Geographic patterns reveal that small business posting weakness is more pronounced in expensive metropolitan areas. San Francisco Bay Area small businesses show postings 38% below 2020 levels, while New York area small businesses are down 29%. In contrast, small businesses in lower-cost regions like the Southeast and Mountain West show more modest declines or even increases in some markets.
The challenges facing small businesses in talent acquisition have important policy implications. Small businesses often serve as entry points for new workers and provide opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurship. Reduced hiring activity among smaller employers could limit economic dynamism and career pathways for workers seeking diverse opportunities.
Several factors may contribute to small business posting weakness. Large employers may have advantages in remote work infrastructure, benefits packages, and career advancement opportunities that make them more attractive to workers. Additionally, small businesses may face greater challenges in navigating complex labor regulations, healthcare benefit requirements, and tax compliance.
However, some small businesses have found success by focusing on specialized niches, offering unique workplace cultures, or providing equity participation that larger employers cannot match. The small businesses that continue posting actively often emphasize flexibility, autonomy, and growth opportunities that appeal to workers seeking alternatives to corporate employment.
Seasonal Adjustments and Data Quality Considerations
Understanding Indeed's data requires careful attention to seasonal patterns and methodological considerations that can influence interpretation of trends. July typically shows moderate seasonal strength in job postings as companies prepare for fall business cycles and educational institutions staff for the academic year.
Indeed's methodology has evolved over time to address changes in employer posting behavior and platform usage. The shift toward more sophisticated job posting strategies, including targeted advertising and automated posting systems, may affect the relationship between postings volume and actual hiring intentions.
Competition from other job platforms, including LinkedIn, ZipRecruiter, and industry-specific sites, may influence which employers use Indeed and for which types of positions. Professional and executive roles may be underrepresented relative to hourly and mid-level positions, affecting the overall wage growth calculations.
Geographic representation can be affected by regional differences in Indeed usage and alternative platform preferences. Some metropolitan areas may show greater Indeed posting intensity due to local employer habits or marketing efforts, while others rely more heavily on alternative recruiting channels.
The treatment of duplicate postings and multiple listings for the same position across different platforms or locations requires careful methodology to avoid double-counting. Indeed's algorithms attempt to identify and consolidate duplicate listings, though perfect deduplication remains challenging.
Posted wage accuracy depends on employer honesty and completeness in salary information. Many postings include salary ranges rather than specific amounts, requiring estimation methods that may introduce uncertainty. Additionally, total compensation including benefits is rarely fully captured in posted wage data.
Response rates and application patterns provide additional context for interpreting posting trends. High posting volumes with low application rates might indicate unrealistic job requirements or compensation offers, while high application-to-posting ratios could suggest effective employer branding or attractive opportunities.
International Comparisons and Global Context
Placing U.S. job posting trends in international context reveals both the unique aspects of American labor markets and broader global patterns affecting talent demand and compensation. Indeed operates in multiple countries, providing comparative data that illuminates different labor market dynamics and policy approaches.
Canadian job postings show similar patterns to the U.S., with postings 38% above February 2020 baseline and wage growth of 4.1% annually. However, Canada shows less geographic variation, with major metropolitan areas showing more consistent posting growth than the dramatic regional differences observed in the U.S.
European markets covered by Indeed show more modest posting growth, with the UK at 15% above 2020 baseline and wage growth of 3.2%. Germany shows 12% posting growth with 2.8% wage increases, while France demonstrates 8% posting expansion and 2.4% wage growth. These differences reflect both different economic conditions and distinct labor market institutions.
The technology sector's posting moderation appears to be a global phenomenon, with software development postings declining in most developed markets. However, healthcare posting growth appears more concentrated in countries with aging populations and market-based healthcare systems, suggesting that demographic and institutional factors drive sector-specific patterns.
Remote work adoption varies significantly internationally, with U.S. levels (15.2%) exceeding most other countries. European markets typically show 8-12% remote work postings, while Asian markets demonstrate even lower levels. These differences reflect cultural attitudes toward remote work, regulatory environments, and infrastructure capabilities.
Immigration policies and international talent mobility affect posting patterns and wage growth across countries. The U.S. continues to attract international talent in technology and healthcare, potentially supporting wage growth in these sectors. Conversely, some European countries with more restrictive immigration policies may face greater labor shortages in key occupations.
Policy Implications and Economic Signals
The Indeed Hiring Lab data provides important signals for policymakers across multiple domains, from monetary policy to immigration, education, and regional development. The moderation in posting growth and wage increases suggests that Federal Reserve monetary tightening is achieving its intended cooling effects on labor demand.
For Federal Reserve officials, the 3.8% posted wage growth rate approaches levels that might be consistent with 2% inflation if accompanied by appropriate productivity gains. However, the continued elevation of postings 43% above baseline suggests that labor markets remain tighter than historical norms, potentially requiring continued policy restraint.
Immigration policy implications are particularly relevant given the strength of healthcare and skilled trades postings combined with declining entry-level opportunities. Targeted immigration programs for healthcare professionals and skilled trades workers could help address specific labor shortages while providing pathways for international talent.
Educational policy considerations center on the divergent trends between declining technology entry-level postings and growing healthcare and skilled trades opportunities. Workforce development programs may need rebalancing toward healthcare and technical trades training while maintaining appropriate technology education for changing market needs.
Regional development policies could leverage the data showing strong posting growth in Mountain West regions while addressing the challenges facing small businesses and mature metropolitan areas. Infrastructure investment, regulatory streamlining, and business development incentives might help spread economic growth more broadly.
The decline in small business postings raises questions about entrepreneurship support, access to capital, and regulatory burden. Policies that reduce barriers for small business hiring, including simplified benefits administration or hiring tax credits, might help restore small business participation in job creation.
Future Outlook and Monitoring Priorities
Several key indicators within Indeed's data deserve continued monitoring as signals of labor market evolution and economic trajectory. The overall postings index trajectory will indicate whether current moderation continues toward historical norms or stabilizes at elevated levels indicating persistent labor demand.
Sectoral rotation patterns, particularly the balance between technology contraction and healthcare expansion, will provide insights into economic structure evolution and skill demand shifts. The sustainability of construction and skilled trades posting growth will depend on infrastructure investment continuation and housing market conditions.
Remote work posting shares will indicate whether the current 15.2% level represents a new equilibrium or continued evolution toward either higher or lower levels. Industry-specific remote work patterns will reveal which sectors successfully adapt to distributed work models.
Entry-level posting recovery will be crucial for new graduate employment opportunities and long-term skill development. The timeline for entry-level demand restoration may affect educational institution enrollments and career preparation programs.
Geographic patterns will reveal whether Mountain West dominance continues or whether other regions develop competitive advantages. The performance of mature metropolitan areas will indicate their ability to adapt to changing economic conditions.
Small business posting trends will signal the health of entrepreneurship and distributed job creation. Recovery in small business hiring activity would suggest broader economic opportunity distribution and reduced concentration in large employers.
Wage growth patterns by occupation will indicate whether current differentials persist or converge toward more uniform levels. The relationship between posting growth and wage increases will reveal employer strategies for balancing hiring needs with cost management.
Adapting to the Evolved Labor Landscape
The July 2025 Indeed Hiring Lab data portrays a labor market in transition from pandemic-era extremes toward more sustainable patterns while retaining elevated demand levels that reflect structural changes in work and employment. The 43% posting elevation above 2020 baseline, combined with 3.8% wage growth, suggests a "higher plateau" rather than a return to pre-pandemic norms.
For employers, the data indicates continued competition for talent but at more manageable levels than the peak intensity of 2022-2023. Strategic hiring in growing sectors like healthcare and skilled trades may offer better opportunities than contracting areas like entry-level technology roles. The stabilization of remote work at 15.2% of postings suggests that location flexibility has become a permanent feature requiring strategic response.
For workers, the data reveals a more selective but still favorable environment, with particular opportunities in healthcare, skilled trades, and Mountain West regions. Career strategy should account for sectoral rotation away from technology toward health and infrastructure, while geographic considerations may offer significant advantages.
For policymakers, the data provides evidence that monetary tightening is moderating labor demand without triggering dramatic adjustment. However, the persistence of elevated posting levels and continued wage growth suggests that further normalization may be required to achieve full price stability.
The divergent experiences of different industries, regions, and worker categories revealed in Indeed's data underscore the complexity of modern labor markets and the need for nuanced rather than blanket approaches to career strategy, talent management, and policy intervention.
Looking ahead, the sustainability of current patterns will depend on broader economic conditions, policy decisions, and technological development. The Indeed Hiring Lab data will continue to provide early warning signals of significant shifts while offering actionable intelligence for navigating the evolving world of work.
The emergence of a "new normal" characterized by elevated but stabilizing demand, persistent skill premiums, and geographic rebalancing suggests that adaptation rather than restoration may be the key theme for labor markets in the years ahead. Success for all participants will require embracing these changes while maintaining focus on the fundamental drivers of economic opportunity and productivity growth.