December 2023, Yahoo! Finance
The last couple of years have ushered in fresh job opportunities and more flexible working arrangements, drawing plenty of workers back into the workforce since the COVID nadir. Over 83% of prime-age workers (aged 25 to 54) were participating in the labor market as of October—levels “not seen since the early 2000s,” according to a recent Indeed report.
Nick Bunker, the economic research director for North America at the Indeed Hiring Lab, said that although demand for workers has dropped 20% from its peak in January 2022, job postings are still elevated compared to pre-pandemic times. But he also points to certain subgroups of prime-age workers that are seeing a speedier rebound. “There’s a rising tide—all boats are lifting, but some are rising more quickly than others,” Bunker says.