The years of the pandemic were a watershed moment, and they continue to provide a comparison point for then and now. Companies that increased hiring, wages, and perks post-pandemic are now looking for ways to return to pre-pandemic ways of conducting business.
Unlimited PTO
Limitless PTO is often described as a benefit. The so-called benefit sounds great, but in reality, it often results in employees taking fewer PTO days than they might have with a more traditional time-off benefits plan. That realization might be one of the reasons why unlimited PTO is becoming outdated.
A report from Indeed’s Hiring Lab found employer offerings of unlimited PTO peaked during the post-pandemic to draw in new talent. The report found that as of June 2025, only 2.9% of U.S. Indeed job listings offered unlimited PTO.
The period from June 2020 to June 2021 saw a 103% increase in the number of jobs offering unlimited PTO. From June 2022 to June 2023 there was a 40% increase in jobs offering unlimited PTO as a benefit. From June 2024 to June of this year, there was a 6% decrease in the offering.
Wage Growth
Recruiters also see a decrease in the number of employers who are willing to pay in the $20/hour range for receptionist and administration roles. Now those employers are trying to return to pre-pandemic levels for these roles.
In contrast, those at the higher end of the wage scale continue to see some wage growth, according to analysis from Indeed Hiring Lab. This includes jobs such as electrical engineering, legal and marketing.
The report found 57% of workers’ pay grew quicker than inflation in June. Federal data showed this was up from a monthly low of 44% during the height of inflation. Despite this, there is evidence that wage growth is cooling after recent months of stability. Wage growth measured 2.9% year-to-year in June.
Unemployment
July data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) found unemployment rates were stable in forty-seven states and in the District of Columbia. This included nineteen states and the District with an increase in jobless rate from a year ago, four states with decreases and twenty-seven states seeing minor changes in the rate of unemployment.
Nationally the unemployment rate of 4.1% has changed little since a year ago. States with the largest job gains include Texas, Florida, and New York. The largest increases were in South Carolina, Idaho, and Hawaii.
