U.S. hiring demand turned positive in Q2 2026. Job postings closed the quarter at 6.45 million (+3.7% YoY), a 13-month high, with white-collar roles leading at +6.3% YoY and median full-time pay climbing to $62,234 (+6.1% YoY). Government data told a more cautious story: June payrolls rose just 57,000, well short of the ~115,000 consensus, and as always, the first print is rarely the final word.
Turning to JobMarketPulse data, U.S. job postings ended Q2 2026 at 6.45 million. Every month of the quarter held above 6.4 million, a level not reached at any point in the prior twelve months. June posted the strongest year over year gain of the quarter at +3.7%, compared with +1.0% for March.