Signal49 Research’s Help-Wanted Index is an indicator of the number of new jobs advertised online. Our empirical analysis has shown that variations in the number of jobs posted online are generally followed by similar variations in employment in the ensuing months. Thus, the index can be used to predict near-term employment trends.
Document Highlights
The Help-Wanted Index gained 2.2 percentage points in April, offsetting most of March’s loss and resuming the upward trend that began six months ago. While employers reined in hiring over the second half of 2011 and the first few months of 2012, the upward trend in the index was finally reflected in the strong employment gains in March and April.
