The latest data from our Q1 Job Seeker Confidence Survey and Q4 New Hire Survey highlights exactly how employers can stand out in a competitive market. To win the attention of top candidates, companies must focus on speed, clarity, and flexibility.

The March Employment Report reversed course from the February dip, and posted a large gain: an increase of 178,000 jobs in March blew past expectations to the highest gain since December 2024. Unemployment ticked back down to 4.3% as labor force participation fell to 61.9%. While the headline numbers are stronger than expected, a peak under the hood presents a shrinking labor force and continued challenges for those looking for work.

• Women’s employment is reaching a new peak as women become a larger share of nonfarm labor than men, and women’s labor force participation continues to improve. 

• But as AI becomes more central in the workplace, many women risk being left behind due to gaps in education and training. 

• More women are entering skilled trades as the labor market shifts, finding growth opportunities in traditionally male-dominated fields.

The February Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) reported a decrease in job openings from revised January numbers. A mix of severe weather and healthcare strikes led to the lower than expected employment growth in February, and the lowest level and rate of hires since April 2020. Aside from the 2020 dip, the hires level has not been this low since 2014, when the labor market was still rebuilding after the Great Recession. While unemployment in today’s market remains low, the stall in hiring, coupled with a delay in retirement activity, is leading to a locked-out market for many new entrants.

More than a third of U.S. workers (35%) currently have a side hustle or hold multiple jobs, according to a recent ZipRecruiter survey, and the practice now cuts across nearly every corner of American working life. 

Younger workers are nearly twice as likely as those over 45 to have supplemental income. Veterans, union members, and high earners are all above average as well. But the motivations are far from one-size-fits-all. A side hustle can be a lifeline for those stretched by rising costs, an on-ramp for first-time job seekers facing barriers to traditional employment, or a ladder for those trying to move up faster. Understanding who has one, and why, reveals a workforce that is more financially creative and more financially pressured than employment figures alone suggest.

According to the Federal Reserve’s February Beige Book, businesses are integrating AI to augment output rather than replace jobs. It is tempting to link recent GDP growth, which has diverged from a softening labor market, to productivity gains from AI. Yet despite sensational headlines, AI’s real-world business impact remains limited. And the most important question may not be how AI affects productivity, but who benefits if and when it does. 

The February Employment Report proves that one month is not a trend. January's labor market gains reversed course in February, with employment declining by 92,000 jobs, far off from consensus estimates. Outside of October's government shutdown, the longest in history, this is the largest monthly job loss since 2020.

The December Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) report confirms a trend that many job seekers are already feeling: the labor market is becoming increasingly difficult to navigate. Job openings fell to 6.5 million in December—a decline of nearly one million from a year ago and the lowest level in over five years. While the unemployment rate has shown signs of stabilizing, the environment remains highly competitive, with roughly one million more unemployed individuals than available job openings.

The current trajectory of the U.S. labor market reveals a striking reliance on a single sector for sustained growth. Over the past year, healthcare has accounted for approximately 69% of all national job gains. This concentration suggests that the industry is acting as a primary stabilizer for the broader economy, a role driven more by the structural needs of an aging population than by cyclical economic growth.

As demographic shifts continue to increase the demand for medical services, healthcare is positioned to be a permanent center of gravity for the American workforce. For workers navigating stagnation in other sectors or seeking to re-enter the market, this growth presents a strategic opportunity to pivot into a high-demand field.

The December Employment Report caps off a historically weak year for the labor market, with the economy adding a meager 50,000 jobs, barely enough to keep pace with population growth. With only 584,000 net jobs added across all of 2025, the labor market has deteriorated dramatically from 2024's 2.0 million job gain, representing a 71% year-over-year decline in job creation.

The November Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) report shows that job openings fell once again in November to 7.1 million. Compared to last November, the US labor market now has over 800,000 fewer job openings, with over 700,000 more unemployed individuals. It appears the bump in October job openings was more of a blip with data collection than a pivot in market direction. For now, the labor market shows more signs of softening than of recovery.