White-Collar Labor
Indicator Study | Active | As of 2026-03-27 | Freshness 12d
White-Collar Labor is 'active' with a composite score of 52.1. The hottest components are Hiring deterioration 58.2, Claims spillover 56.0.
52.09
Score
12 day(s)
Freshness
2026-03-27
As Of
Component Scores
| Component | Score |
|---|---|
| Hiring deterioration | 58.16 |
| Hours softening | 31.64 |
| Claims spillover | 55.96 |
Current Drivers
| Driver | Component | Score | Raw | Transformed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professional and business services hires | Hiring deterioration | 69.82 | 3.90 | 17.02 |
| Initial unemployment claims | Claims spillover | 56.55 | 210000.00 | -6.25 |
| Continuing unemployment claims | Claims spillover | 55.37 | 1819000.00 | -3.71 |
| Temporary-help employment | Hiring deterioration | 54.96 | 2447.40 | 3.20 |
| Professional and business services job openings | Hiring deterioration | 49.72 | 1260.00 | -4.05 |
| Average weekly hours in professional and business services | Hours softening | 31.64 | 36.60 | -0.55 |
Metrics
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Score | 52.09 |
| Freshness Days | 12 |
| Panel As Of Date | 2026-03-27 |
| Source As Of Date | 2026-03-21 |
Charts
Component contribution bars
Higher scores indicate more replacement pressure or fragility for this study.
Normalized history panel
All lines are scored on the same 0-100 scale using trailing z-scores on a weekly Friday panel.
Notes
- Higher scores mean white-collar labor conditions look softer and more replacement-prone.
- Claims are weekly; payroll and JOLTS series are forward-filled to the weekly panel rather than upsampled with interpolation.
- Mechanism note: Replacement pressure shows up first through slower hiring, weaker hours, and then broader claims spillover rather than immediate mass unemployment.
- Freshness: the stalest source series in this study is 12 day(s) old.
Commentary
White‑Collar Labor remains in an active expansion phase with a composite score of 52.1, driven by elevated hiring deterioration (58.2) and claims spillover (56.0).
- Composite score: 52.1 (active, above neutral 50)
- Hiring deterioration component: 58.2 (highest sub‑score)
- Claims spillover component: 56.0 (second‑highest sub‑score); raw initial claims ≈ 210k, continuing claims ≈ 1.82M
Caveat: The index relies on weekly claims and hiring data that are subject to seasonal adjustments and revisions, so a single week’s spike may not indicate a sustained trend.