Economic Security
Can workers withstand financial disruption?
Measures financial stability, income flexibility, and ability to absorb economic shocks
Skill Portability
Can workers apply their value across roles and industries?
Measures how transferable and adaptable worker skill sets are
Market Agency
Can workers navigate and act on job opportunities?
Measures awareness, confidence, and engagement in the labor market
Future Readiness
Are workers prepared for technological change?
Measures AI readiness, training, and ability to adapt to emerging tools
Q2 2026 Score:
A mid-range score indicating stability without resilience across all four dimensions.
3.35
Economic Security
3.10(Stretched)
Skill Portability
3.63(Developing)
Market Agency
3.47(Passive)
Future Readiness
3.18(Uncertain)What Changed This Quarter
Three trends shaped worker readiness in Q2.
Adaptability is outpacing financial security.
Workers are becoming more confident in their skills and ability to adapt, but declining financial resilience is making it harder to pursue new opportunities. Confidence is growing even as financial flexibility shrinks.
Confidence isn't translating into career action.
Workers increasingly believe they have the skills to succeed, yet fewer are taking steps to increase their visibility, expand their networks, or prepare for a job search. Confidence is rising faster than career mobility.
AI readiness continues to advance.
Workers are becoming more prepared to navigate AI-driven change, but employer support has remained flat. As AI adoption grows, employees are taking greater responsibility for building the skills they need.
Quarterly Perspective
The Q2 Monster Livelihood Index reveals a workforce that is becoming increasingly prepared for change, but less financially positioned to act on it. Workers are gaining confidence in their skills and AI readiness, yet weakening financial security may limit their ability to pursue new opportunities or respond to change with confidence.
Past Releases
Q1 2026Stability without resilience across four dimensions of readiness.
Read the analysisHow to Read the Index
Scores run from 1 to 5. Higher scores reflect greater economic durability and readiness for change.
How to Read the Index
Scores run from 1 to 5. Higher scores reflect greater economic durability and readiness for change.
Overall score bands:
Score Range
Interpretation
4.0–5.0
Resilient
strong stability, adaptability, and readiness
3.5–3.99
Adaptive
generally stable with developing flexibility
2.5–3.49
Holding
stable but vulnerable to disruption
Below 2.5
At Risk
constrained options and low preparedness
Dimension-level bands:
Score Range
Economic Security
Skill Portability
Market Agency
Future Readiness
4.0–5.0
Secure
Transferable
Proactive
Future-Ready
3.5–3.99
Stable
Developing
Active
Aware
2.5–3.49
Stretched
Narrow
Passive
Uncertain
Below 2.5
Fragile
Locked
Stuck
Exposed
Economic Security
Score Range
Status
4.0–5.0
Secure
3.5–3.99
Stable
2.5–3.49
Stretched
Below 2.5
Fragile
Skill Portability
Score Range
Status
4.0–5.0
Transferable
3.5–3.99
Developing
2.5–3.49
Narrow
Below 2.5
Locked
Market Agency
Score Range
Status
4.0–5.0
Proactive
3.5–3.99
Active
2.5–3.49
Passive
Below 2.5
Stuck
Future Readiness
Score Range
Status
4.0–5.0
Future-Ready
3.5–3.99
Aware
2.5–3.49
Uncertain
Below 2.5
Exposed
Appendix
About the Monster Livelihood Index
The Monster Livelihood Index (MLI) is a quarterly measure of worker readiness and resilience. Each quarter, approximately 1,000 employed U.S. workers are surveyed to understand how prepared they are to navigate today’s labor market.
The index tracks four dimensions that shape career mobility:
- Economic Security – Financial resilience and ability to withstand disruption
- Skill Portability – Confidence in applying skills across roles and industries
- Market Agency – Ability to navigate career opportunities and pursue career growth
- Future Readiness – Preparedness for technological and workplace change
Together, these dimensions provide a consistent benchmark for tracking how worker readiness changes over time.
Data is collected via Pollfish. Demographic quotas are applied to approximate the distribution of employed U.S. workers.
MLI Methodology
The Monster Livelihood Index is built from 28 survey statements grouped across the four dimensions of worker readiness.
Respondents rate each statement on a five-point agreement scale. Reverse-scored items are adjusted so higher scores consistently reflect stronger worker readiness and resilience.
Each dimension score represents the average of its respective statements. The overall MLI score is calculated as the equally weighted average of all four dimensions.
The survey is conducted at the end of each calendar quarter using consistent question wording, response scales, sampling parameters, and methodology to support reliable quarter-over-quarter comparisons.
Because the MLI measures workers’ self-reported perceptions, it should be interpreted as an indicator of worker readiness and resilience rather than an objective measure of economic conditions.
EXPLORE MORE
Explore additional research and analysis on the forces shaping work and workforce behavior on the Monster blog.
Explore what these trends mean for recruiters and hiring on Hiring.Monster.com.