Jobs Monitor
U.S. employment data from government agencies and industry research firms.
Government data: BLS unemployment, JOLTS job openings, DOL jobless claims
Private sector insights: ADP payroll data from 26 million employees
Real-time hiring: Indeed job postings index, updated daily
Layoff tracking: Challenger job cuts and tech industry announcements
Leading indicators: Consumer sentiment and prime-age labor participation
How it works
1. Collect
We gather data from government APIs (FRED, BLS) and industry sources (Indeed, ADP, Challenger)
2. Calculate
Each metric's change is measured relative to its own historical volatility
3. Weight
Metrics are weighted by economic significance and reliability
4. Score
Combines current levels (50%) and rate of change (50%) into a composite score
Important
Data comes from government agencies (BLS, DOL) and respected industry research firms (Indeed Hiring Lab, ADP, Challenger). No simulated data. If a source is unavailable, that metric is excluded.
Questions & Answers
Where does the data come from?
Government sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (unemployment, JOLTS, wages) and Department of Labor (jobless claims) via FRED API. Industry sources: Indeed Hiring Lab (job postings), ADP (private payrolls from 26M employees), Challenger, Gray & Christmas (layoff announcements), Layoffs.fyi (tech layoffs), and University of Michigan (consumer sentiment).
What does the Employment Health score mean?
The score combines two factors: (1) where each metric sits in its historical range, and (2) how unusual recent changes are compared to historical volatility. 50 = neutral conditions. Above 50 = stronger job market. Below 50 = weakening conditions.
How often is the data updated?
Data freshness varies by source: Indeed updates daily, jobless claims weekly (Thursdays), and most BLS data monthly. Our system refreshes daily and on each page load.
What geographic area does this cover?
All metrics cover the United States. Government data (BLS, DOL) covers all 50 states plus DC. Industry data (Indeed, ADP) is U.S.-focused with some global tech companies in layoff trackers.
