The Talivity Talent Market Index

Finance & Operations and Healthcare continue to lead the Talent Market Index, maintaining strong pricing power as employers remain highly selective in professional and operational hiring. Retail emerged as one of the biggest breakout segments this month, while Transportation & Logistics continues to show significant volatility despite remaining elevated overall.

Across the market, employers are still willing to pay premiums for experienced, revenue-driving, and operationally critical talent where supply remains constrained and business impact is highest.

Retail posted the strongest month-over-month growth this period, signaling renewed hiring demand following seasonal normalization and increased frontline workforce activity. Healthcare and Finance & Operations also continued to trend upward, reinforcing sustained investment in care delivery, operational leadership, and business-critical roles.

On the decline side, IT & Related experienced the sharpest pullback, reflecting continued recalibration across the tech sector as organizations remain cautious with white-collar hiring. Transportation & Logistics, Hospitality, and Food Services also cooled month over month after experiencing elevated demand and pricing spikes earlier in the year.

ear over year, Transportation & Logistics remains one of the most elevated segments in the Index, underscoring continued structural pressure across supply chain, fulfillment, and logistics-related roles. Finance & Operations and Sales also continue to show strong long-term pricing growth, highlighting persistent competition for experienced talent tied directly to revenue generation and operational performance.

Retail and Light Industrial remain resilient in high-volume hiring categories, while Healthcare and Food Services continue to sit above historical baseline levels. IT & Related and Hospitality are the only segments currently showing meaningful year-over-year declines, signaling ongoing normalization after previous post-pandemic peaks.

The labor market continues to send mixed signals. Month-over-month volatility reflects ongoing recalibration across sectors, while year-over-year pricing pressure remains elevated across most talent categories. Employers are becoming more selective, concentrating hiring investments around high-impact roles while pulling back in areas with excess labor supply or uncertain demand.

The result is a market defined by uneven recovery and targeted demand. Hiring has not disappeared, but it has become increasingly strategic, with elevated pricing pressure persisting primarily in roles where talent shortages remain hardest to solve.