Talroo's Frontline Worker Index - September 2024

Supply & Demand

The FWI compares new resumes and new job posts to show the balance between job seeker supply and employer demand.

This month, for the first time in five months, the labor market has flipped, with the Resume Posting index surging by 53 points while the Job Posting index dropped 80 points.  

Most impacted industries:

Key insights

• Wage increases have become a key strategy for retention, particularly as the cost of replacing healthcare workers remains steep—hospitals and clinics spend more than $52,000 to replace a single registered nurse.
• Allied Health roles have seen hourly wages rise to $39.17, aligning with a broader trend noted in the Frontline Worker Index, which shows a year-over-year increase of $3.33 in average hourly wages.

• Offering ongoing credentialing and upskilling opportunities helps healthcare workers feel supported and valued in their professional journeys.
• The No Degree Required index continues to decline, suggesting that more positions now require higher education and specialized training. This means that as healthcare roles grow more complex, employers are investing in professional development to ensure workers are adequately qualified.

• To combat burnout, healthcare employers are focusing on flexible schedules, manageable patient loads, and providing mental health resources. These efforts are aimed at reducing turnover and retaining experienced staff.

• Nearly 44% of frontline managers are actively looking to expand their seasonal workforce in preparation for the holiday rush.
• Yet, many are struggling to find qualified candidates, with 61% of managers reporting a decline in the quality of applicants.

• In response, employers are increasing wages and offering more flexible schedules to make these positions more attractive. This is evident in the recent $2,024 jump in sign-on bonuses, according to the Frontline Worker Index.
• Ensuring a safe work environment is also a top priority, with 77% of managers focusing on workplace safety as a means of retaining seasonal staff and making them feel valued.

• Effective onboarding, along with short-term benefits like weekly bonuses and other incentives, is helping employers keep seasonal workers engaged throughout the peak holiday period.
• Even though the Part-Time index continues to decline, businesses are leaning more into full-time roles to meet the need for experienced, reliable staff.

• Supply - Allied Health, Customer Service/Call Center
• Demand - Trucking, Allied Health, and Hospitality/Food Services

• The Remote Work index dropped by 14 points, continuing the u0022Return to the Officeu0022 trend.
• Hospitality and food services are bucking this trend with a 57-point increase year-over-year in remote roles, likely driven by remote customer service and digital ordering systems.
• Retail has seen an even larger jump, with a 208-point increase year-over-year in remote work opportunities, reflecting growth in e-commerce and online support roles.
• In contrast, warehousing and logistics saw a 121-point decrease in remote opportunities, as these roles require physical presence for operations.

• The Full-Time Work index is up 8 points, signaling a continued shift towards more stable, full-time positions as employers focus on long-term retention and workforce stability.

• The Part-Time Work index saw a significant 40-point drop, suggesting a reduced focus on part-time positions as companies opt for full-time employees to meet operational demands.

Job Titles

Building on the supply and demand insights from the previous graph, this section highlights the demand from frontline job seekers using Talroo-associated job boards and search engines. On the supply side, it examines job postings from employers advertising through Talroo, giving a clear picture of the current job market dynamics. 

Supply: Job Seeker Activity

Demand: Employer Job Posts

Over half of the top job searches on Talroo-associated platforms are now centered around how frontline and essential workers want to work, rather than what specific jobs they’re after. This trend is in line with previous index data, though we’re seeing a slight increase in the focus on work conditions. While "Work from Home" is still the most common search, its importance is gradually fading, showing that it's less of a priority for employers. Companies that clearly communicate what workers are looking for in job descriptions are more likely to attract the best-fit candidates. 

Wages & Pay

This dataset shows the average wage and sign-on bonus for jobs listed on the Talroo Ad Platform, and reflects significant regional discrepancies in states like California and New York. These states with strict salary transparency laws may skew the average wage data. In contrast, states with fewer transparency requirements remain underrepresented. 

The featured hourly wage has increased by $3.33 year-over-year and $1.71 month-over-month, with healthcare playing a major role. Allied Health positions offer the highest average hourly wage at $39.17, while the overall average excluding healthcare is $18.72, showing modest gains of $0.41 year-over-year and $0.97 month-over-month. 

Sign-on bonuses surged $2,024 month-over-month, though the percentage of jobs offering these bonuses has dropped by 1%, signaling that fewer companies are offering bonuses but in larger amounts to attract seasonal workers ahead of the holiday season. Higher wages continue to align with roles requiring more experience and offering less remote flexibility. 

Schedules, Hours, & Remote Work

This dataset shows the indexed Work from Home, Part-Time, and Full-Time positions listed by clients on the Talroo Ad Platform. It’s important to note that some positions may be listed as part-time or full-time based on availability or store needs, but this doesn’t necessarily affect the overall numbers. 

This month’s data shows significant shifts in part-time, full-time, and remote work trends. The following bullet points summarize these changes and their impact across industries: 

Remote Index 

Full-Time Index 

Part-Time Index 

These trends illustrate how the workforce landscape is changing post-pandemic, with a clear preference for full-time, in-person work across most sectors. However, industries like hospitality and retail are increasing their remote roles, driven by the rise of digital services and online customer interactions. Meanwhile, sectors like warehousing and logistics remain reliant on on-site workers, with remote work opportunities continuing to decline. 

Education & Experience

This index tracks Talroo clients who post jobs that do not require formal education or previous work experience. For example, roles such as warehouse workers or food service employees often fall into this category. 

Both the No Degree Required and No Experience Required indices have experienced declines over the past month. The No Degree Required index dropped by 5 points, and the No Experience Required index fell by 1 point year-over-year, though it saw a 2-point rise month-over-month. These trends suggest that more employers are requiring degrees or experience for frontline jobs, possibly indicating a shift towards more stringent hiring criteria as businesses seek candidates with stronger qualifications. 

Explore the graphs below to see how these requirements vary by state or industry: 

Trends in Education & Experience Over Time

"No Degree Required" Index

"No Experience Required" Index

Benefits

This index tracks the average amount of sign-on bonuses offered and the percentage of companies providing them. Bonuses are a key incentive, especially for frontline workers in industries like retail, healthcare, and logistics. 

This month, the average sign-on bonus has surged by $2,024 month-over-month, indicating increased efforts to attract talent as companies prepare for the busy holiday season. However, the percentage of companies offering sign-on bonuses has dropped by 1% month-over-month, suggesting that while fewer employers are offering bonuses, those who tend to offer larger incentives to stand out in the competitive market. 

Data Source & Copyright: Talroo, Inc.

View the April 2024 FWI Report here →

View the June 2024 FWI Report here →

View the July 2024 FWI Report here →

View the August 2024 FWI Report here →