Takeaways: 

  • Job postings continue to hum along at 10.8% above the pre-pandemic baseline, and are now down 8.3% from January 17, 2024. 
  • All three categories posted declines in year-over-year job postings through January 17, 2025.  
  • Posted wage growth for Food Preparation & Service remains stable, while Retail wage growth is slowly declining.

Indeed job postings 

The US Indeed Job Posting Index (JPI) finished out the year in the same fashion it spent much of 2024, coasting along between 10 to 13% above the pre-pandemic baseline. As of January 17, 2025, job postings were down 8.3% from the same date last year as employer demand for workers continued to weaken, but remained 10.8% above the pre-pandemic baseline. 

Line graph titled “US job postings remain 10.8% above the pre-pandemic baseline” shows the change in Indeed job postings since their pre-pandemic baseline, through January 17, 2025. US job postings have fallen 8.3% over the past year.
Line graph titled “US job postings remain 10.8% above the pre-pandemic baseline” shows the change in Indeed job postings since their pre-pandemic baseline, through January 17, 2025. US job postings have fallen 8.3% over the past year.

Retail job postings 

All categories in the Retail vertical registered year-over-year job posting declines, mostly in step with the overall labor market. Food Preparation & Service job postings are holding up best, falling 8% in the year to January 17, 2025. Retail and Hospitality & Tourism postings each notched a double-digit year-over-year decline, with Retail postings edging just below their pre-pandemic baseline. 

Table titled “Retail and Hospitality & Tourism post double-digit declines in the last year” shows job posting trends over the past year through January 17, 2025, and from the pre-pandemic baseline, for several Retail occupations. Food Preparation & Service job postings decreased 8% over the past year but remained up 6.2% from their pre-pandemic baseline.
Table titled “Retail and Hospitality & Tourism post double-digit declines in the last year” shows job posting trends over the past year through January 17, 2025, and from the pre-pandemic baseline, for several Retail occupations. Food Preparation & Service job postings decreased 8% over the past year but remained up 6.2% from their pre-pandemic baseline.

Retail wage growth

After stabilizing briefly over the summer, Retail wage growth continued its downward march, and at 1.6% as of December 2024, is well below the labor market average of 3.3% year-over-year growth. On the other hand, Food Preparation & Service wage growth picked up modestly in the summer, but has since leveled off at 2.5%. Wage growth in both categories lags the overall labor market average, most likely due to the softening demand for workers over the past several years. 

Line graph titled “Retail and Food Preparation & Service wage growth stabilizes." The vertical axis ranges from 0 to 15%, and the horizontal axis shows dates. Different colored lines represent wage growth for Food Preparation and service and Retail. As of December 2024, Food Preparation & Service stood at 2.5% growth, while Retail was at 1.6%.
Line graph titled “Retail and Food Preparation & Service wage growth stabilizes.” The vertical axis ranges from 0 to 15%, and the horizontal axis shows dates. Different colored lines represent wage growth for Food Preparation and service and Retail. As of December 2024, Food Preparation & Service stood at 2.5% growth, while Retail was at 1.6%.

For more labor market insights from the Indeed Hiring Lab, visit us at hiringlab.org.