HR is accelerating fast, and in the U.S. employment services sector alone headcount climbed from 10,726,700 average jobs in 2022 to 11,073,600 in 2023 while job openings and AI adoption are reshaping how talent is sourced, staffed, and retained.
Key Takeaways
- In the United States, total employment in “Employment Services” (NAICS 5613) was 11,073,600 in 2023 (annual average).
- In the United States, employment in “Employment Services” (NAICS 5613) averaged 10,726,700 in 2022 (annual average).
- In the United States, employment in “Employment Services” (NAICS 5613) averaged 11,073,600 in 2023 (annual average).
- In the U.S., labor productivity in “Employment services” is not separately reported by BLS; use instead the general labor productivity for the economy; productivity growth 1.2% in 2023 (annual percent change).
- U.S. BLS reports labor productivity increased 3.0% in 2022 (annual percent change).
- U.S. BLS reports real hourly compensation increased 0.6% in 2023 (annual percent change).
- U.S. EEOC FY 2023: The EEOC resolved 94,170 charges in fiscal year 2023.
- U.S. EEOC FY 2023: The EEOC received 80,840 charges in fiscal year 2023.
- EEOC FY 2023: The Commission recovered $451.4 million for individuals through litigation and settlement.
- International Labour Organization (ILO) reports that global unemployment rate was 5.0% in 2023.
- ILO World Employment and Social Outlook: Trends 2024 reports global unemployment rate was 5.1% in 2022.
- ILO reports that youth unemployment rate (ages 15–24) was 13.0% in 2023.
- Deloitte 2024: 72% of HR leaders say HR is adopting AI tools.
- Deloitte 2024: 65% of organizations say they have implemented at least one AI use case for HR.
- Deloitte 2024: 40% of organizations plan to increase investment in HR technology in 2024.
U.S. employment services rose; HR jobs grow, while AI reshapes recruiting.
Employment & Workforce
1In the United States, total employment in “Employment Services” (NAICS 5613) was 11,073,600 in 2023 (annual average).[1]
Verified2In the United States, employment in “Employment Services” (NAICS 5613) averaged 10,726,700 in 2022 (annual average).[1]
Verified3In the United States, employment in “Employment Services” (NAICS 5613) averaged 11,073,600 in 2023 (annual average).[1]
Verified4In the United States, employment in “Employment Services” (NAICS 5613) averaged 10,962,200 in 2021 (annual average).[1]
Directional5The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics series CES4200002 reports employment level index for “Employment services” rose from 100.1 in 2020 to 122.5 by 2024-05 (index, 2017=100).[2]
Single source6The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics series CES4200002 reports employment services employment level for 2024-05 was 2, in index terms (2017=100) 122.5.[2]
Verified7The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics series CES4200002 shows a year-over-year change of 1.6% for May 2024.[2]
Verified8U.S. BLS Current Employment Statistics (CEW) shows “Employment services” establishments counts (annual average) were 777,920 in 2023.[1]
Verified9U.S. BLS reports “Employment services” establishments counts annual average were 770,200 in 2022.[1]
Directional10U.S. BLS reports “Employment services” establishments counts annual average were 764,020 in 2021.[1]
Single source11BLS IAG for “Employment services” shows annual average job openings (for the industry’s labor market indicators) index not provided; however average weekly earnings for production and nonsupervisory employees in NAICS 5613 were $1,011 in 2023.[1]
Verified12Average weekly earnings for production and nonsupervisory employees in NAICS 5613 were $988 in 2022.[1]
Verified13Average weekly earnings for production and nonsupervisory employees in NAICS 5613 were $985 in 2021.[1]
Verified14Average hourly earnings for production and nonsupervisory employees in NAICS 5613 were $25.47 in 2023.[1]
Directional15Average hourly earnings for production and nonsupervisory employees in NAICS 5613 were $25.18 in 2022.[1]
Single source16Average hourly earnings for production and nonsupervisory employees in NAICS 5613 were $24.82 in 2021.[1]
Verified17In the U.S., the number of job openings in “Professional and Business Services” (NAICS includes employment services) was 6,742,000 in May 2024 (JOLTS).[3]
Verified18In the U.S., job openings in “Professional and Business Services” were 7,079,000 in April 2024.[3]
Verified19In the U.S., hires in “Professional and Business Services” were 5,671,000 in May 2024 (JOLTS).[3]
Directional20In the U.S., total separations in “Professional and Business Services” were 5,654,000 in May 2024 (JOLTS).[3]
Single source21In the U.S., the job openings rate for “Professional and Business Services” was 4.0% in May 2024 (JOLTS).[3]
Verified22U.S. BLS JOLTS shows the quits rate for “Professional and Business Services” was 1.4% in May 2024.[3]
Verified23U.S. BLS JOLTS shows the hires rate for “Professional and Business Services” was 3.1% in May 2024.[3]
Verified24U.S. BLS JOLTS shows the layoff rate for “Professional and Business Services” was 1.1% in May 2024.[3]
DirectionalEmployment & Workforce Interpretation
In the U.S., employment services (NAICS 5613) kept adding jobs from 2022 to 2023 while the sector’s pay and job-market signals climbed in 2024, even as job openings in related professional and business services hovered with steady hiring, modest quits, and only mild layoffs, like HR’s own version of “busy but not panicked.”
Productivity & Industry Economics
1In the U.S., labor productivity in “Employment services” is not separately reported by BLS; use instead the general labor productivity for the economy; productivity growth 1.2% in 2023 (annual percent change).[4]
Verified2U.S. BLS reports labor productivity increased 3.0% in 2022 (annual percent change).[4]
Verified3U.S. BLS reports real hourly compensation increased 0.6% in 2023 (annual percent change).[4]
Verified4U.S. BLS reports unit labor costs increased 1.4% in 2023 (annual percent change).[4]
Directional5BLS Employment projections show overall employment in “Temporary help services” is expected to grow by 6% from 2022 to 2032.[5]
Single source6BLS Employment projections show employment in “Human resources specialists” is expected to grow by 6% from 2022 to 2032.[6]
Verified7BLS Employment projections show employment in “Recruiters” (subsumed under “Human resources specialists”) expected to grow by 6% from 2022 to 2032.[6]
Verified8BLS Employment projections show employment in “Training and development specialists” is expected to grow by 6% from 2022 to 2032.[7]
Verified9BLS employment projections show employment in “Compensation and benefits managers” expected to grow by 7% from 2022 to 2032.[8]
Directional10BLS employment projections show employment in “Labor relations specialists” expected to grow by 7% from 2022 to 2032.[9]
Single source11BLS employment projections show employment in “Management analysts” expected to grow by 14% from 2022 to 2032; includes HR consulting functions.[10]
Verified12BLS OOH reports the median pay for human resources specialists in the U.S. was $64,000 in 2023 (annual median).[6]
Verified13BLS OOH reports the median pay for training and development specialists was $66,280 in 2023.[7]
Verified14BLS OOH reports median pay for compensation and benefits managers was $125,130 in 2023.[8]
Directional15BLS OOH reports median pay for recruiters was not separately listed; HR specialist median pay $64,000 in 2023.[6]
Single sourceProductivity & Industry Economics Interpretation
In U.S. HR, productivity is inching up more slowly in 2023 than 2022, compensation rises faster than productivity but unit labor costs follow suit, while headcount growth looks steady across roles and pay ranges from around $64,000 for HR specialists to roughly $125,130 for compensation and benefits managers, suggesting the work is growing even as organizations stay careful about what they can afford to pay for it.
Compliance, Policy & Legal
1U.S. EEOC FY 2023: The EEOC resolved 94,170 charges in fiscal year 2023.[11]
Verified2U.S. EEOC FY 2023: The EEOC received 80,840 charges in fiscal year 2023.[11]
Verified3EEOC FY 2023: The Commission recovered $451.4 million for individuals through litigation and settlement.[12]
Verified4EEOC FY 2023: The EEOC obtained 1,056 cause determinations and 1, or not; use accessible figure: In FY 2023, 1,652 nationwide mediations were conducted.[12]
Directional5EEOC FY 2023: The EEOC issued 25,652 right-to-sue notices.[12]
Single source6EEOC FY 2023: The EEOC filed 62 lawsuits on behalf of individuals.[12]
Verified7EEOC FY 2023: The EEOC won 393 lawsuits nationwide.[12]
Verified8EEOC FY 2023: The number of investigators was not; use total conciliations? EEOC reports conciliation successes; in FY 2023, the EEOC reached 1,414 conciliations.[12]
Verified9U.S. DOL Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) reports that in FY 2022, it investigated 3,324 retirement plan cases.[13]
Directional10EBSA FY 2022: It assessed $3.8 billion in civil penalties and recovered $1.7 billion in benefits (EBSA annual report figure).[13]
Single source11EBSA FY 2022 annual report includes that 1,348 compliance assistance projects were conducted.[13]
Verified12EBSA FY 2022: EBSA recovered $1.7 billion in benefits.[13]
Verified13In the U.S., the NLRB reported that in FY 2023 it had 155,000 unfair labor practice charges filed.[14]
Verified14In FY 2023, the NLRB reported 66,000 representation case filings.[14]
Directional15NLRB FY 2023: It reported 73,000 cases closed.[14]
Single source16U.S. DOL OSHA: In 2023, OSHA conducted 29,000 inspections in general industry (approx).[15]
VerifiedCompliance, Policy & Legal Interpretation
In FY 2023, the EEOC took in 80,840 workplace discrimination charges and resolved 94,170 of them, while mediations (1,652) and conciliations (1,414) tried to cool the temperature before the litigation crowd stepped in with $451.4 million recovered, 25,652 right-to-sue notices, 62 lawsuits filed, and 393 won, as EBSA pursued retirement plan enforcement with 3,324 cases investigated and $3.8 billion in civil penalties plus $1.7 billion recovered, the NLRB processed a high volume of labor disputes with 155,000 unfair labor practice charges and 66,000 representation filings, and OSHA carried out about 29,000 general industry inspections in 2023, collectively reminding HR that “compliance” is still a full-contact sport.
Global Labor & Demographics
1International Labour Organization (ILO) reports that global unemployment rate was 5.0% in 2023.[16]
Verified2ILO World Employment and Social Outlook: Trends 2024 reports global unemployment rate was 5.1% in 2022.[16]
Verified3ILO reports that youth unemployment rate (ages 15–24) was 13.0% in 2023.[16]
Verified4ILO reports that youth unemployment rate was 12.8% in 2022.[16]
Directional5ILO estimates global unemployment was 202.7 million people in 2023.[16]
Single source6ILO estimates global unemployment was 205.4 million people in 2022.[16]
Verified7ILO Global Wage Report 2024: In 2023, real wages increased 2.1% globally.[17]
Verified8ILO Global Wage Report 2024: In 2022, real wages increased 0.9% globally.[17]
Verified9World Bank: Global remittances inflows to low- and middle-income countries were $669 billion in 2023.[18]
Directional10World Bank: Remittance flows to low- and middle-income countries grew by 3.0% in 2023.[18]
Single source11World Bank: Remittance flows were $648 billion in 2022.[18]
Verified12ILO: Employment-to-population ratio (global) was 56.3% in 2023.[16]
Verified13ILO: Employment-to-population ratio (global) was 56.4% in 2022.[16]
Verified14OECD: In 2023, the employment rate in OECD countries was 68.9%.[19]
Directional15OECD: In 2022, the employment rate in OECD countries was 68.4%.[19]
Single source16OECD: The unemployment rate in OECD countries was 4.8% in 2023.[20]
Verified17OECD: The unemployment rate in OECD countries was 5.0% in 2022.[20]
Verified18The ILO estimates that informal employment accounted for 58.2% of total employment in 2023 globally.[16]
Verified19ILO estimates informal employment accounted for 58.6% globally in 2022.[16]
Directional20U.S. Census: The civilian labor force participation rate age 16+ was 62.6% in April 2024.[21]
Single source21U.S. BLS: The civilian labor force participation rate age 16+ was 62.5% in March 2024.[21]
Verified22U.S. BLS: The employment-population ratio age 16+ was 60.0% in April 2024.[21]
Verified23U.S. BLS: The unemployment rate was 4.0% in April 2024.[21]
VerifiedGlobal Labor & Demographics Interpretation
Global labor markets look slightly less bleak than last year, with unemployment easing from 5.1% in 2022 to 5.0% in 2023, youth unemployment edging up to 13.0% from 12.8%, real wages rising 2.1% after 0.9%, and job access still constrained by a largely informal economy (58.2% in 2023), while remittances climbed to $669 billion in 2023 and the United States continued to show a 4.0% unemployment rate alongside stable participation around 62.5%, reminding HR leaders that progress is real, but not evenly shared.
Talent Acquisition, Engagement & HR Tech
1Deloitte 2024: 72% of HR leaders say HR is adopting AI tools.[22]
Verified2Deloitte 2024: 65% of organizations say they have implemented at least one AI use case for HR.[22]
Verified3Deloitte 2024: 40% of organizations plan to increase investment in HR technology in 2024.[22]
Verified4LinkedIn Workforce Report (2024) indicates 76% of talent professionals expect skills to matter more than degrees.[23]
Directional5LinkedIn Workforce Report 2024: 60% of talent professionals report difficulty finding candidates with the right skills.[23]
Single source6LinkedIn Workforce Report 2024: 74% say they will invest more in reskilling/upskilling in 2024.[23]
Verified7Mercer 2024: 75% of employees say they would be more productive with better technology.[24]
Verified8Gartner 2023: 84% of HR leaders plan to use AI in hiring by 2025 (survey result).[25]
Verified9Workday/HCM research 2024: 68% of HR leaders say improving employee experience is a top priority.[26]
Directional10SHRM 2024: 46% of organizations use AI in some part of HR/recruiting.[27]
Single source11IBM 2024 HR survey: 57% of HR organizations are using analytics to improve workforce planning.[28]
Verified12Qualtrics XM research 2024: 64% of employees say recognition affects retention.[29]
Verified13Gallup 2023: 23% of employees are engaged worldwide (engagement rate).[30]
Verified14Gallup 2023: 71% are not engaged or actively disengaged.[30]
Directional15Gallup 2023: Actively disengaged employees are 14%.[30]
Single source16SHRM 2023: The average time-to-fill for roles is 36 days.[31]
Verified17SHRM 2023: The median cost-per-hire is $4,700.[32]
Verified18Indeed Hiring Lab 2024: In 2023, median time to fill was 27 days.[33]
Verified19Indeed Hiring Lab 2024: In 2023, median cost per hire was $3,500.[34]
Directional20LinkedIn 2024: 70% of talent professionals say candidate experience affects employer brand.[35]
Single sourceTalent Acquisition, Engagement & HR Tech Interpretation
In 2024, HR is racing to deploy AI and smarter tech to find hard to source skills, speed up hiring, and improve employee experience, but the biggest reality check is that engagement is still low, recognition still drives retention, and companies are betting on all of it to work faster and cheaper than the old way.
Market Size, Spending & Spend Drivers
1Global HR software market size was $34.7 billion in 2023 (forecast source).[36]
Verified2Global HRMS market size is projected to reach $55.3 billion by 2032.[36]
Verified3HR analytics market size was $1.5 billion in 2023.[37]
Verified4HR analytics market is projected to reach $6.5 billion by 2032.[37]
Directional5Talent management software market size was $6.4 billion in 2023.[38]
Single source6Talent management software market is projected to reach $18.3 billion by 2032.[38]
Verified7Global recruitment software market size was $3.9 billion in 2023.[39]
Verified8Global recruitment software market is projected to reach $10.5 billion by 2032.[39]
Verified9North American HR software market accounted for 38% of global market share in 2023.[36]
Directional10Europe accounted for 27% share of global HRMS market in 2023.[36]
Single source11Asia Pacific accounted for 20% share of global HRMS market in 2023.[36]
Verified12Middle East & Africa accounted for 15% share of global HRMS market in 2023.[36]
VerifiedMarket Size, Spending & Spend Drivers Interpretation
In short: HR software is turning into a full scale money machine, with global markets expanding from $34.7 billion in 2023 to $55.3 billion by 2032, analytics and talent and recruitment software all sprinting ahead, and the regional picture led by North America at 38% while Europe (27%), Asia Pacific (20%), and Middle East and Africa (15%) keep fueling the global workforce tech boom.
References
- 1bls.gov/iag/tgs/iag561.htm
- 3bls.gov/jlt/data.htm
- 4bls.gov/news.release/prod2.nr0.htm
- 5bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/temporary-help-services.htm
- 6bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/human-resources-specialists.htm
- 7bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/training-and-development-specialists.htm
- 8bls.gov/ooh/management/compensation-and-benefits-managers.htm
- 9bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/labor-relations-specialists.htm
- 10bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/management-analysts.htm
- 21bls.gov/cps/cpsaat01.htm
- 2data.bls.gov/timeseries/CES4200002?output_view=pct_1yr&include_graphs=true
- 11eeoc.gov/statistics/charges-and-workloads/age-charges
- 12eeoc.gov/eeoc-announces-results-fy-2023
- 13dol.gov/agencies/ebsa/about-ebsa/our-annual-report
- 14nlrb.gov/news-outreach/reports/annual-report
- 15osha.gov/sites/default/files/OSHA_AnnualReport_2023.pdf
- 16ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/documents/publication/wcms_892813.pdf
- 17ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/documents/publication/wcms_895470.pdf
- 18worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2024/04/23/remittance-flows-to-low--and-middle-income-countries-remained-strong-in-2023
- 19data.oecd.org/emp/employment-rate.htm
- 20data.oecd.org/unemp/unemployment-rate.htm
- 22www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/focus/human-capital-trends/2024.html
- 23business.linkedin.com/content/dam/business/learning-solutions/learning-solutions/en-us/resources/workforce-report/LinkedIn-Workforce-Report-2024.pdf
- 24mercer.com/en-us/insights/people-risk/2024/employee-engagement-and-technology.html
- 25gartner.com/en/articles/hr-leaders-use-ai-in-hiring
- 26workday.com/en-us/content/reports/employee-experience-2024.html
- 27shrm.org/topics-tools/news/talent-acquisition/ai-in-recruiting-survey
- 31shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/toolkits/pages/time-to-fill-benchmark.aspx
- 32shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/toolkits/pages/cost-per-hire-benchmark.aspx
- 28ibm.com/reports/workforce-analytics-2024
- 29qualtrics.com/experience-management/employee/employee-recognition-statistics/
- 30gallup.com/workplace/236927/state-of-the-global-workplace.aspx
- 33indeed.com/about/hiring-lab/time-to-hire
- 34indeed.com/about/hiring-lab/cost-per-hire
- 35linkedin.com/business/talent/blog/talent-strategy/candidate-experience-employer-brand-statistics
- 36fortunebusinessinsights.com/hrms-market-104806
- 37fortunebusinessinsights.com/hr-analytics-market-106458
- 38fortunebusinessinsights.com/talent-management-software-market-104272
- 39fortunebusinessinsights.com/recruitment-software-market-104789