Takeaways 

  • Demand for workers across the labor market is down, as overall postings have fallen 14.8% from October 6, 2022. 
  • Postings in Retail-related categories have fallen slightly year-over-year, but are mostly flat in recent months.
  • Holiday postings are off to a slow start but job seeker interest in those roles is back to pre-pandemic levels.

Indeed job postings 

The labor market slowdown continued through the third quarter of 2023, which is reflected in the Indeed Job Postings Index. As of October 6, job postings are down 14.8% from the same date last year. However, employer demand for workers is still elevated. As of October 6, the Indeed Job Postings Index remained at 127, meaning job postings are still 27% above their pre-pandemic baseline.

Line graph titled "US job postings down 14.8% year-over-year," shows the increase of Indeed job postings from their pre-pandemic baseline. US job postings have fallen 14.8% since October 6, 2022.
Line graph titled “US job postings down 14.8% year-over-year,” shows the increase of Indeed job postings from their pre-pandemic baseline. US job postings have fallen 14.8% since October 6, 2022.

Retail job postings 

Job postings for segments inside the Retail vertical remain in decline. Food Preparation & Service and Retail postings are down 9.7% and 10.5%, respectively, from October 2022, but have mostly leveled off in the third quarter of 2023. Hospitality & Tourism postings are down 14.1% over the past year but have stagnated at their pre-pandemic baseline in recent months.

Line chart titled "Service categories show little change," shows job postings in Retail, Hospitality & Tourism, and Food Preparation & Service to October 6, 2023. Hospitality & Tourism job postings have remained flat at their pre-pandemic level. 
Line chart titled “Service categories show little change,” shows job postings in Retail, Hospitality & Tourism, and Food Preparation & Service to October 6, 2023. Hospitality & Tourism job postings have remained flat at their pre-pandemic level. 

Seasonal hiring 

The number of seasonal/holiday job postings on Indeed has fallen below pre-pandemic levels. As of late September, seasonal job postings were down 3% from the same time in 2019, and 6% below levels from the same period a year ago. The decline in postings so far this year is a sign that employers in industries that typically hire large numbers of seasonal workers—including retail and sales—are feeling confident that their current workforce will be sufficient to weather the season.

Line graph titled “US holiday postings at lowest point since 2019.” With a vertical axis ranging from 100 to 400, while the horizontal axis displays months from February to December, with different colored lines representing each year between 2019 and 2023. As of September 22, 2023, seasonal job postings were 6% below where they were in 2022, and 3% below 2019.
Line graph titled “US holiday postings at lowest point since 2019.” With a vertical axis ranging from 100 to 400, while the horizontal axis displays months from February to December, with different colored lines representing each year between 2019 and 2023. As of September 22, 2023, seasonal job postings were 6% below where they were in 2022, and 3% below 2019.

Job seekers are showing greater interest in seasonal work this year compared to the past few years. As of late September, job seeker searches for holiday/seasonal jobs were at a three-year high, up 19% from the same time in 2022, and less than 4% below 2019 levels. 

Line chart titled “US holiday searches near pre-pandemic levels.” With a vertical axis ranging from 0 to 300, Indeed tracked holiday-related searches per million along a horizontal axis running from July to January, with different colored lines representing 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023. As of September 22, 2023, the share of job seeker searches for seasonal work is up 19% compared to the 2022 trend.
Line chart titled “US holiday searches near pre-pandemic levels.” With a vertical axis ranging from 0 to 300, Indeed tracked holiday-related searches per million along a horizontal axis running from July to January, with different colored lines representing 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023. As of September 22, 2023, the share of job seeker searches for seasonal work is up 19% compared to the 2022 trend.

For more labor market insights from the Indeed Hiring Lab, follow along on our blog at hiringlab.org.