December 2025 Hourly Hiring Report

What HR Leaders Need to Know

As 2025 closed, the U.S. hourly labor market showed clear signs of normalization rather than contraction. According to the December 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) report, total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 50,000, while the unemployment rate held steady at 4.4%, signaling a stable—though more selective—hiring environment. At the same time, Snagajob job-posting data reveals where employer demand remains resilient, where it is cooling, and how hiring strategies might need to adjust in 2026.

Big Picture: Stability, Not Stagnation

The December BLS report confirms that the labor market continues to cool gradually after the rapid post-pandemic expansion, but without sharp deterioration. Payroll growth in 2025 averaged roughly 49,000 jobs per month, significantly slower than 2024 but still positive. Wage growth remained steady, with average hourly earnings up 3.8% year over year, helping support worker retention but increasing cost pressure for employers.

For hourly hiring managers, this environment favors precision hiring: fewer blanket postings, greater focus on roles with immediate ROI, and stronger competition for reliable frontline talent.

Snagajob December 2025 Industry Job Posting Trends

Sector Highlights: Growth vs. Pullbacks

Industries driving hourly hiring volume:

• Transportation: Snagajob postings jumped sharply in December, +23.8% MoM, aligning with BLS data showing continued long-term strength in logistics-adjacent roles.

• Sales & Marketing: Postings rose 17% MoM

• Education: Job postings rose 9.1% MoM, reflecting seasonal hiring and continued staffing gaps.

• Personal Care & Services: Up 6.7% MoM, pointing to consumer-driven demand even amid broader economic moderation.

• Hotel & Hospitality: Job postings rose 4.1% MoM which may reflect seasonal hiring for winter getaways.

Cooling Demand

• Retail: Post-holiday hiring pullback is evident, with Snagajob postings down 2.7% MoM, mirroring BLS-reported job losses in retail trade.

• Warehouse & Production: Down 7.4% MoM, signaling normalization after peak seasonal hiring.

• Healthcare: While still high-volume, postings declined 7.1% MoM, consistent with slower—but ongoing—BLS employment growth in the sector.

Wages, Hours, and Worker Supply

BLS data shows average hourly earnings reached $37.02, with production and nonsupervisory workers (a key hourly segment) holding steady. However, the number of workers employed part-time for economic reasons rose over the year, indicating that availability is improving—but commitment remains fragile.

For employers, this underscores the importance of:

• Clear scheduling expectations

• Competitive hourly pay transparency

• Faster hiring and onboarding cycles

Long-Term Indicators HR Leaders Should Watch

Several BLS indicators carry long-term implications for hourly hiring:

• Long-term unemployment rose year over year, now representing 26% of unemployed workers, suggesting re-entry challenges for some candidates.

• Labor force participation remained flat at 62.4%, reinforcing that talent shortages are structural, not temporary.

• Teen unemployment remained elevated (15.7%), pointing to potential pipeline opportunities with training and flexible scheduling.

What This Means for Hourly Hiring in 2026

As hiring demand becomes more targeted, successful employers will:

• Focus spend on high-conversion roles rather than volume postings

• Use real-time job-posting data to adjust quickly by market and industry

• Emphasize retention, schedule stability, and speed to hire

The December data makes one thing clear: hourly hiring is not slowing—it’s becoming more strategic.

What the Experts Are Saying

Reuters — "U.S. job growth slowed more than expected in December amid business caution about hiring… but a decline in the unemployment rate to 4.4% suggested the labor market was not rapidly deteriorating. "

AP News — "The labor market looks to have stabilized, but at a slower pace of employment growth… There is no urgency for the Fed to cut rates further, for now. "

Reuters — "Nonfarm payrolls came in less than expected in December… and the participation rate also fell, indicating the labor force is contracting in ways that could temper hiring momentum. "

As the hourly expert, Snagajob and JobGet is here to help with your hiring needs. Contact our team today to learn more about our solutions for enterprise, mid-size, and small businesses.

Sources

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, The Employment Situation — December 2025 jobs report

• Snagajob internal job posting data, December 2025