Weekly Hourly Hiring Report 6/15/2021

How COVID-19 is affecting hourly work

Weekly Hourly Hiring Report 6/15/21

Highlights

Overall jobs are up 67% compared to pre-pandemic norms, seeing 6% month over month growth and 102% year over year growth. Google searches for hourly jobs are down 5% year over year.

Consumers are spending in what experts are calling a post-pandemic splurge. Father’s Day weekend should provide a boost to the restaurant and retail industries, with the average consumer spending an expected $174 compared to last year’s $26.

The impact on the labor market is this: there is an ongoing mismatch between the hourly labor supply and demand—more open jobs than people interested in having a job— making it harder for the economy to fully recover near-term.

In fact, American workers are quitting their jobs more frequently than at any other time in the past two decades. The number of people voluntarily leaving their jobs increased to 4 million in April, suggesting workers are growing more confident in their ability to find employment.

While federal unemployment is one of the reasons for opting out of the labor market, the opportunity to earn a higher hourly wage, limited access to affordable childcare, lingering health concerns and the reevaluation of work and life goals during quarantine are also giant contributors. 

Half of the states in the country have announced they’re opting out of federal unemployment benefits early. Four states ended their participation last week, with another eight ending benefits this week.

We are seeing positive news in our data this week.  There are increases in both job postings and active job seekers—particularly in hospitality and leisure—in resort towns and summer destinations like Key West, Hilton Head and San Diego. Compared to April, overall active job seekers in these summer havens are up 11%. For additional insights on Summer Hiring and the current state of the hourly labor market, check out our Summer Hiring Report and our latest employer and worker survey infographic. 

Jobs

All industry data is from 3/2/20-6/15/21

Here are the latest job numbers by industry:

Quick service restaurant (QSR) jobs are down 20% compared to pre-pandemic norms, seeing 6% month over month growth and 3% year over year growth.

Sit-down restaurant jobs are down 40% compared to pre-pandemic norms, seeing a 13% month over month decline and 12% year over year growth.

Warehouse and logistics jobs are up 243% compared to pre-pandemic norms, seeing 29% month over month growth and 159% year over year growth.

Retail jobs are up 14% compared to pre-pandemic norms, seeing 23% month over month growth and 61% year over year growth.

Grocery jobs are up 81% compared to pre-pandemic norms, seeing 1% month over month growth and 56% year over year growth.

Hospitality jobs are up 260% compared to pre-pandemic norms, seeing 51% month over month growth and 331% year over year growth.

On demand jobs are up 156% compared to pre-pandemic norms, seeing 5% month over month growth and 217% year over year growth.

Convenience store jobs are down 19% compared to pre-pandemic norms, seeing 6% month over month growth and 6% year over year growth.

Healthcare jobs are up 91% compared to pre-pandemic norms, seeing a 4% month over month decline and 84% year over year growth.

Workers

Google searches for hourly jobs are down 5% year over year.

The bottom line

We’ll continue to be your best resource for hourly job market insights as we collectively navigate towards our new normal and beyond.