Q4 2025 Economic Indicator Report

Job Market Decline Continued in Q4 2025, Capping a Year of Subdued Hiring

• The number of active job listings dropped significantly in Q4 2025, declining by 8.1% quarter-over-quarter (QoQ) to 6.58 million, indicating a contraction in hiring activity. This downturn is a continuation of slight decline in Q3 keeping overall demand subdued. The slowdown reflects corporate caution amid shifting economic conditions, as organizations reevaluate staffing requirements.  

• New job postings saw a sharp decline by 12.6% offsetting small gains in Q3. This signals an elevated economic uncertainty alongside continued cost-cutting and restructuring activities. This downturn underscores a shift toward more conservative hiring strategies as firms navigate rising tariff exposure and volatile consumer markets.

U.S. Job Listings by Month |October 2023 - December 2025

• Closed job duration, which represents the average time to fill a job, increased slightly by 1.8 days to 46.2 days. This trend indicates that open positions took longer to fill, despite fewer jobs were posted, reflecting cautious hiring practices by organizations. In addition, continuing tariff, economic and policy uncertainty kept hiring restrained, while AI adoption calling for specific skills seems to be contributing to the weakest job gains in five years.

• Most sectors recorded declines in active job listings, with job counts showing minimal month-to-month volatility. Although low volatility points to a stable, hiring remains weak as employers limited new postings to navigate the uncertainty as they move into 2026.

Volatility |Q1 2021 to Q4 2025

• These developments unfolded under the new US administration, as early actions on trade enforcement, regulatory reductions, and lower public-sector outlays began to affect labor conditions. Q4 2025 data signals to rising cost pressures linked to tariffs, while firms remain cautious, emphasizing operational efficiency, and resilience rather than accelerating hiring. 

Industry Spotlight:

Public Administration

Not surprisingly the Public Administration sector experienced QoQ decline by 21.8% in active jobs, mirroring wider shifts in government hiring and funding. The current administration has announced mass layoffs and budget cuts across multiple departments.

Download the full report for more stats.