Hiring surges above pre-COVID level

Hiring in the U.S. surged 7.4% last month from October, the most since LinkedIn started tracking the trend on its platform in early 2015. November hiring was also 5.7% higher than pre-COVID (February 2020) levels, as employees swapped jobs and found new ones at the fastest pace since the pandemic recovery began. LinkedIn has 180 million U.S. members, and its Workforce report shows how many added new employers to their profiles in the past month. Also in this month's report:

• The industries with the biggest monthly hiring gains were education (13.5% higher); arts (12.9% higher); and manufacturing (12.6% higher).

• San Francisco was the only metro area where hiring still lagged pre-COVID levels (0.7% lower).

• Separately, the Labor Department reported new jobless claims rose less than expected last week, following a plunge tied to seasonal effects.

By LinkedIn’s Economic Graph Team

Over 180 million workers in the U.S. have LinkedIn profiles; over 97,000 companies in the U.S. use LinkedIn to recruit and members can add over 38,000 skills to their profiles to showcase their professional brands. That gives us unique and valuable insight into U.S. workforce trends.

This LinkedIn Workforce Report is a monthly report on employment trends in the U.S. workforce. It’s divided into two sections: a National section that provides insights into hiring and migration trends across the country, and a City section that provides insights into localized employment trends in 20 of the largest U.S. metro areas: Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland-Akron, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Nashville, New York City, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, St. Louis, and Washington, D.C.

Our vision is to create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce. Whether you’re a worker, an employer, a new grad, or a policymaker, we hope you’ll use these insights to better understand and navigate the dynamics of today’s economy.

Key Insights

• November emerged as the strongest hiring month since 2015: Nationally, across all industries, hiring in the U.S. was 7.4% higher in November 2021 compared to last month. National hiring also jumped 5.7% above pre-COVID (February 2020) levels - the highest rate we’ve seen not only since the pandemic started, but since LinkedIn began tracking hiring rates in early 2015. Surging hiring rates reflect the current tightness in the labor market - with job openings plentiful and workers feeling more confident to switch roles in search of better wages and career growth.

• Education, Arts, and Manufacturing see biggest monthly gains: The industries with the most notable hiring shifts month-to-month in November were Education (13.5% higher), Arts (12.9% higher), and Manufacturing (12.6% higher). In November, 21 of 24 industries exceeded their pre-COVID hiring levels - the highest we’ve seen since the start of the pandemic and well above last month’s 14 industries exceeding pre-COVID hiring levels. The only industries hiring below pre-COVID levels were Energy & Mining (5.8% lower), Entertainment (2.9% lower), and Public Safety (0.5% lower). 

• San Francisco lagging behind in hiring recovery: 19 of the 20 metro areas we track were hiring above pre-COVID levels - the most we’ve seen since the pandemic started. The metro areas experiencing the strongest hiring rates relative to pre-COVID levels were Austin (18.2% higher), Miami (15.7% higher), and Cleveland (14.8% higher). San Francisco was the only metro area we track with hiring still lagging behind pre-COVID levels (0.7% lower). 

Hiring

The LinkedIn hiring rate is a measure of hires divided by LinkedIn membership. Nationally, across all industries, hiring in the U.S. was 7.4% higher in November compared to last month October 2021. National hiring was 26.1% higher in November compared to last year November 2020.

The industries with the most notable hiring shifts month-to-month in November were Education (13.5% higher); Arts (12.9% higher); and Manufacturing (12.6% higher).

Migration

The U.S. cities losing the most people are State College-DuBois, PA; College Station-Bryan, TX; and Tuscaloosa, AL. For every 10,000 LinkedIn members in State College-DuBois, PA, 218 left in the past 12 months.

The U.S. cities gaining the most people are Austin, TX; North Port-Sarasota, FL; and Nashville, TN. For every 10,000 LinkedIn members in Austin, TX, 141 arrived in the last 12 months.