Indeed Job Search Platform Statistics for 2026

Overview

Indeed has established itself as the world's #1 job site with an unparalleled reach across job seekers and employers. The platform processes millions of job applications monthly and serves as a critical indicator of broader labor market trends.

This report compiles the latest Indeed platform statistics, job seeker behavior trends, and hiring insights to help you understand how job searching is evolving in 2025-2026.

Key Statistics

Detailed Findings

Platform Scale and Reach

• 580 million — Job seeker profiles on Indeed's platform globally, making it the world's largest job search database (Source: Indeed via WSJ, January 2025)
• 3.5 million — Employers using Indeed to post jobs and find candidates (Source: Indeed via WSJ, January 2025)
• 27 hires per minute — Rate at which employers successfully hire candidates through Indeed (Source: Indeed About Page, 2025)
• 10% above pre-pandemic levels — Job postings on Indeed as of November 2024, despite being down 10% year-over-year (Source: Indeed Hiring Lab, December 2024)

Job Seeker Behavior and Sentiment

• 61% — Americans who would rather look for a new job than go on a date in 2025, highlighting the priority many place on career advancement (Source: Indeed, June 2025)
• 69% — Job seekers who reported feeling optimistic about their job search in 2024, despite market headwinds (Source: Indeed Hiring Lab, 2024)
• 49% — Job seekers who believe most job applications are too long and complicated (Source: Indeed 2024 Workforce Insights Report)
• 22% — Workers with one year or less of tenure at their current employer, reflecting continued labor market mobility (Source: BLS Employee Tenure Survey, January 2024)

Labor Market Trends from Indeed Data

• 10% decline year-over-year — Drop in Indeed job postings from November 2023 to November 2024, signaling cooling employer demand (Source: Indeed Hiring Lab, December 2024)
• 3.9 years — Median employee tenure in January 2024, the lowest since 2002, suggesting increased job mobility (Source: BLS via Indeed analysis)
• 180,000 jobs per month — Average job gains through the first eleven months of 2024, down from 251,000 per month in 2023 (Source: Indeed Hiring Lab analysis of BLS data, December 2024)
• 75% — Concentration of 2024 job gains in just three industries: healthcare & social assistance, government, and leisure & hospitality (Source: Indeed Hiring Lab, December 2024)

Hiring Projections and Future Outlook

• 4.2% — Unemployment rate as of November 2024, still historically low despite ticking up from 2023 lows (Source: Indeed Hiring Lab analysis of BLS data)
• 1.0% — Layoff rate in October 2024, below the pre-pandemic all-time low, indicating employers are holding onto workers (Source: Indeed Hiring Lab, December 2024)
• 3.3% — Hires rate in October 2024, the lowest since 2013 (excluding pandemic distortions), signaling caution in hiring (Source: Indeed Hiring Lab, December 2024)
• Economic soft landing in view — Despite headwinds, combination of low unemployment, contained layoffs, and stabilizing job openings suggests potential for smooth labor market transition in 2025 (Source: Indeed Hiring Lab, December 2024)

What This Means for You

The Job Market Is More Competitive

With job postings down 10% year-over-year and hiring rates at decade lows, competition for roles has intensified. You'll need to submit more applications and optimize every aspect of your candidacy to stand out.

Quality Over Quantity in Applications

With 49% of job seekers finding applications too complex, employers are losing candidates mid-process. Focus your energy on fewer, highly-targeted applications rather than mass-applying to every opening.

Leverage Indeed's Scale

With 580 million job seekers and 3.5 million employers, Indeed offers unmatched reach. However, this also means:

• Optimize your Indeed profile — Complete every section and use keywords from target job descriptions
• Set up job alerts — Be among the first applicants by applying within hours of posting
• Apply directly when possible — If a company website option exists, use it to bypass Indeed's applicant pool
• Track your applications — Use Indeed's built-in tracking or external tools to manage your pipeline

The Market Is Still Strong Historically

Despite cooling trends, job postings remain 10% above pre-pandemic levels and unemployment sits at 4.2%. This is still a worker-friendly market compared to historical norms — just less hot than 2021-2022.

Industry Matters More Than Ever

With 75% of job gains concentrated in three sectors (healthcare, government, leisure/hospitality), targeting the right industry is critical. Consider:

• Healthcare & social assistance — Continued strong hiring
• Government — May soften in 2025 due to federal hiring freezes
• Leisure & hospitality — Slowing from 2023 pace but still adding jobs
• Tech & information — Below pre-pandemic hiring levels, more competitive

Methodology

This report synthesizes data from Indeed's Hiring Lab research team, platform statistics published by Indeed, and Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data analyzed through Indeed's economic lens. All statistics are verified and cited with source and year.

Primary data sources include:

• Indeed Hiring Lab's 2025 US Jobs & Hiring Trends Report (December 2024)
• Indeed platform statistics via Wall Street Journal partnership (January 2025)
• Indeed 2024 Workforce Insights Report
• Indeed Career Advice research and surveys (2024-2025)
• Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Employee Tenure Survey and JOLTS data

Sources

1. Indeed Hiring Lab - 2025 US Jobs & Hiring Trends Report (December 2024)
2. Wall Street Journal & Indeed - How Hiring Is Changing in 2025 and Beyond (January 2025)
3. Indeed - 61% of Americans Would Rather Job Hunt Than Date in 2025 (June 2025)
4. Indeed - 49% of Workers Say Job Applications Are Too Complex (2024)
5. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics - Employee Tenure in 2024 (September 2024)