Silhouettes of people from different professions stand together as a labor market concept


Back in January, The Workplace Advisors predicted that there would be a lot of unknowns that could impact the labor market in 2025. Halfway through the year, they comment that the picture still isn’t much clearer.

Here’s what they do know:

Job growth has held steady. The U.S. added 147,000 jobs in June, right in line with the 12-month average.

Unemployment is low. The unemployment rate remains steady at 4.1 percent. Rates near 4 percent traditionally mean there will be recruiting challenges ahead for many employers. Job openings are outpacing candidates, especially in certain industries and roles.

Wages and benefits are rising. Wages and salaries grew 3.5 percent from March 2024 to March 2025, with benefits up 3.8 percent in that same time frame.

Entry-level markets are shifting. Despite low overall unemployment, recent college grads face a surprising 5.8 percent unemployment rate. This differs significantly from a trend that spans several decades.