Monthly Index Performance
| Month | Index | Status | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2026 | 103.5 | Healthy | -0.6 |
| Aug 2026 | 104.1 | Healthy | +0.1 |
| Jul 2026 | 104.0 | Healthy | -1.2 |
| Jun 2026 | 105.1 | Healthy | +4.7 |
| May 2026 | 100.4 | Healthy | -0.8 |
HOW TO READ THE SCORE
The Scale
Below 95
Cooling market
Labor market conditions are weaker than the historical benchmark.
95-104
Stable market
Conditions are broadly in line with the historical benchmark.
105-110
Healthy market
Conditions are stronger than the historical benchmark.
Above 110
Strong expansion
Multiple signals point to notably strong labor market conditions.
The score is centered on a historical benchmark of 100. Higher scores indicate stronger conditions relative to that benchmark.
Industry Performance
Explore how industries compare to the national index.
Strongest Sector
Oil, Gas, and Mining
+120.4 
Weakest Sector
Entertainment Providers
96.5 
Biggest Monthly Gain
Retail
+13.8
Biggest Monthly Decline
Real Estate and Equipment Rental Services
-1.4
| Sector | Jul 2026 | Aug 2026 | Sep 2026 | 3-mo trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 104.0 | 104.1 | 103.5 |  |
| Oil, Gas, and Mining | 111.7 | 108.0 | 120.4 |  |
| Holding Companies | 112.5 | 111.6 | 116.3 | |
| Wholesale | 107.4 | 109.3 | 113.4 | |
| Construction | 114.1 | 110.6 | 112.7 | |
| Manufacturing | 105.3 | 103.8 | 110.3 | |
| Utilities | 109.3 | 106.4 | 110.0 | |
| Technology, Information and Media | 99.7 | 99.9 | 108.8 | |
| Financial Services | 99.3 | 102.6 | 108.4 | |
| Hospitals and Health Care | 102.2 | 102.8 | 105.0 | |
| Accommodation Services | 102.7 | 103.6 | 104.9 | |
| Farming, Ranching, Forestry | 103.5 | 103.7 | 104.6 | |
| Consumer Services | 102.8 | 101.5 | 104.2 | |
| Real Estate and Equipment Rental Services | 104.5 | 104.5 | 103.1 | |
| Transportation, Logistics, Supply Chain and Storage | 98.7 | 100.5 | 102.9 | |
| Government Administration | 98.5 | 97.8 | 102.1 | |
| Administrative and Support Services | 93.2 | 100.5 | 99.7 | |
| Education | 98.1 | 97.5 | 99.2 | |
| Retail | 85.8 | 84.9 | 98.7 | |
| Professional Services | 99.8 | 96.8 | 97.9 | |
| Entertainment Providers | 93.8 | 93.0 | 96.5 | |
ABOUT THE INDEX
The Monster Workforce Index is a monthly composite measure of U.S. labor market health, designed to cut through the noise of fragmented economic reporting and deliver a single, interpretable benchmark.
6
Economic Signals
Complementary signals in the national composite spanning recruitment activity, compensation, and macroeconomic conditions.
4
Industry Signals
Used in each sector index — unemployment and multiple-jobholding are excluded because they are not measured at the industry level.
20
Industry Sectors
Tracked and scored independently each month, enabling sector-level analysis alongside the national composite.
100
Historical Baseline
The fixed baseline against which all scores are measured. Each 10-point deviation represents one standard deviation from that norm.
WHAT GOES INTO THE INDEX
Seven signals drawn from Monster’s proprietary recruitment platform and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, each adjusted for seasonal patterns.
National Index Only
ALL INDEXES — 4 INDUSTRY-LEVEL SIGNALS
Fill Days
How long it takes to fill an open job
Median Compensation
Typical advertised salary for open roles
Net Job Postings
Number of active job openings in the market
Part-Time Ratio
Share of postings that are part-time vs. full-time
National Index Only
2 Additional Signals
Unemployment Rate
Share of the workforce actively looking for work without a job
Multiple-Jobholding Rate
Share of employed workers who hold two or more jobs simultaneously
WHO USES THE INDEX
Job Seekers
- Understand whether employers or candidates have leverage
- Benchmark your search against market conditions
- Identify stronger and weaker industries to target
Employers
- Monitor changes in recruiting conditions month to month
- Track labor market competition for talent
- Benchmark hiring against historical norms
Journalists & Analysts
- A single, citable measure of labor market health
- Compare industry conditions over time
- Identify emerging workforce trends early
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How often is the index updated?
The index is published monthly and incorporates the latest available labor market data. Each update provides an up-to-date view of workforce conditions and allows for consistent month-over-month comparisons.
Why might sector scores diverge from the overall composite?
National conditions rarely affect every sector uniformly. Each industry is scored independently using the five industry-level signals, so industries can be compared directly with one another and against the national index, which adds two economy-wide measures.
What does a sub-100 score indicate?
A score below 100 means conditions are running below the historical average. In the 90–100 range the market is marginally soft and broadly balanced. Below 90, hiring slows, more candidates compete for each role, and openings take longer to fill.
What does “seasonally adjusted” mean?
Seasonal adjustment removes predictable calendar effects so the index reflects genuine structural shifts in market activity rather than routine fluctuations.
How does this differ from the unemployment rate?
The unemployment rate is one of seven inputs and captures one dimension of labor market health. The Monster Workforce Index incorporates additional signals to produce a more comprehensive view of overall market conditions.
Monster Workforce Index is a beta product. The current index series begins in January 2025. Methodology uses Z-score standardization against a fixed historical baseline; scores reflect absolute market conditions, not relative month-to-month change. Source data: Monster proprietary recruitment platform and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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.