
The 2026 Recruiter Pressure Index: A State-by-State Map of the Talent War
A new analysis from Lever ranks all 50 states and Washington, D.C. by hiring pressure—combining job openings, quits, and unemployment into a single Pressure Score. The result is a national labor market split into two economies, with South Dakota the tightest place to hire and D.C. the loosest.
June 15, 2026







