If you've been job hunting lately, something probably doesn't add up. The headlines say layoffs in the US are near their lowest level in 57 years. By that measure, the job market should be in great shape. But talk to anyone actively searching and you'll hear a different story: applications that disappear, interviews that stall, and offers that never show up. As recruiters, we've been feeling this tension in our own conversations, and it's worth unpacking. Both things are true

If you've been feeling like everyone is waiting for someone else to move first, you're not imagining it. Investopedia reports that the U.S. labor market has stalled. Hiring is at a standstill, layoffs are at a standstill, and 'job hugging' keeps rolling on. That's the term for workers holding tight to the roles they already have instead of switching jobs. From where I sit as a recruiter, it's one of the quieter and more confusing stretches to be on either side of the hiring t

September’s jobs report came in softer than expected: the U.S. added about 29,000 jobs, missing forecasts and showing a cooler labor market. At the same time, the overall picture is still broadly stable — this is a downshift, not a cliff. If you’re a job seeker or a hiring manager, that nuance matters. Headlines love drama. Most careers and hiring plans are built in the quieter middle ground where things are simply… slower, not broken. The labor market is cooling, not collaps

If you feel like the job market has been giving you mixed signals lately, you’re not alone. Indeed Hiring Lab’s September 2026 snapshot pulls together some of the clearest data we’ve got on US labor market conditions right now — from job postings and wage growth to the balance between employers and job seekers. As recruiters in the trenches every day, a lot of what’s in this report lines up with what we’re seeing across searches, shortlists, and offer stages. Job postings are

US initial jobless claims just slipped back below 200,000. On paper, that sounds like great news: fewer people are getting laid off. But if you’re job hunting right now — or struggling to fill a role — it probably doesn’t feel all that great. This data is one more sign we’re in a “low layoffs, low hiring” labor market. Translation: fewer people are losing jobs, but fewer people are landing new ones. The churn that normally keeps the job market moving is slowing down. What a “

On paper, the U.S. labor market looks strong: millions of open roles, unemployment still relatively low, constant chatter about a “talent shortage.” Yet if you talk to job seekers or hiring managers, the story sounds very different. Candidates are applying and hearing nothing. Employers are posting roles and seeing either crickets or applicants who don’t seem like a fit. Positions sit open for months. Everyone’s frustrated. If you’re feeling that disconnect, you’re not imagin