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Real-time economic data

New Hire Pay Index

Average pay for workers newly hired on the Gusto platform each month. Year over year, it reads as a leading indicator of competition for workers.

Sep 2026 · year over year
+3.1%
$25.86 per hour
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Adjustment

Average hourly pay for newly hired workers

Year-over-year change
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Feb 2019 – Sep 2026
Average hourly pay for workers hired in the month. Switch to the year-over-year view for the New Hire Pay Index. Source: Gusto payroll data.

Breakdown

Industry · Sep 2026 · change from a year earlier
Break down by
Industry breakdown for average hourly pay for newly hired workers, Sep 2026.
IndustryChange from a year earlier
Mining & Oil+25.2%
Information+17.4%
Arts & Rec.+15.9%
Health Care+7.4%
Manufacturing+6.2%
Transport & Whse+5.7%
Construction+4.9%
Finance & Ins.+3.7%
Prof. & Technical+1.9%
Real Estate+1.7%
Retail−0.2%
Accom. & Food−0.3%
Agriculture−0.6%
Other Services−0.9%
Admin & Support−2.6%
Wholesale−3.6%
Education−3.9%

By region

US Census regions · Sep 2026 · year-over-year change
  • Northeast+5.4%
  • West+4.7%
  • South+2.1%
  • Midwest+2.0%

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