Takeaways 

  • Indeed job postings across the US reflect a labor market that continues to slow down, falling 12% from April 5, 2023. 
  • All categories within the Transportation vertical show job postings declines over the past year.
  • Driving wage growth has ticked up in recent months, but remains in line with pre-pandemic levels.
Video of Sr. Economist, Daniel Culbertson, discussing the US Labor Market Update – Transportation

Indeed job postings 

The Indeed Job Postings Index (JPI) indicates that employers continued to pull back on hiring in the first quarter, as postings have now notched more than two years of declines. At the end of the first quarter, postings were down 12% year-over-year, showing the pace of the annual decline slowed a bit from the beginning of the year when postings were falling at a rate of 15%. However, employer demand for workers remains elevated, as the JPI stood at a respectable 117.5 on April 5, meaning total postings were still more than 17% above their Feb 1, 2020 level. 

Line graph showing the change in Indeed job postings since their pre-pandemic baseline, through April 5th, 2024. US job postings have fallen 12% over the past year.
Line graph showing the change in Indeed job postings since their pre-pandemic baseline, through April 5th, 2024. US job postings have fallen 12% over the past year.

Transportation job postings 

Driving job postings are holding up better than the rest of the category, with a decline of only 7.3% from April 5, 2023, while Logistic Support and Loading & Stocking job postings have dropped by more than 15% in the same time period. Aviation job postings are also down over the past year, but still gliding high above their pre-pandemic level at an altitude of about 45%. 

Table showing job posting trends, over the past year through April 5, 2024, and from the pre-pandemic baseline, for several Transportation occupations. Driving job postings decreased 7.3% over the past year but remained up just over 26% from their pre-pandemic baseline.
Table showing job posting trends, over the past year through April 5, 2024, and from the pre-pandemic baseline, for several Transportation occupations. Driving job postings decreased 7.3% over the past year but remained up just over 26% from their pre-pandemic baseline.

Transportation wage growth  

Although Transportation is always a competitive field, the Indeed Wage Growth Tracker shows a recent divergence in pay trends for two categories. Loading & Stocking wage growth is still trending down, but with year-over-year growth of 3.4%, it is still in line with pre-pandemic levels. Wage growth for Driving roles notched steady increases after hitting a low late last year, resting at 2.7% through March 2024. 

Line chart titled “Transportation wage growth has returned to pre-pandemic levels,” shows year-over-year wage growth, in %, for Driving and Loading & Stocking postings through March 2023. Wage growth in Driving postings is up 2.7% year-over-year. 
Line chart titled “Transportation wage growth has returned to pre-pandemic levels,” shows year-over-year wage growth, in %, for Driving and Loading & Stocking postings through March 2023. Wage growth in Driving postings is up 2.7% year-over-year. 

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