National Overview: According to the U.S. Workforce Activity Report from UKG (Ultimate Kronos Group), total shift work1 increased 1.9% in February. Growth was largely muted during the first half of February but showed measurable acceleration across all key business sizes and industry segments in the latter half of the month.
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By Business Size: Following contraction across the board in January, businesses in all segment sizes grew in February:
- Fewer than 100 employees: 1.2%
- 101-500: 2.2%
- 501-1,000: 3.2%
- 1,001-2,500: 2.5%
- 2,501-5,000: 2.7%
- More than 5,000: 0.9%
Industry Analysis: Retail, hospitality, and food service—followed by manufacturing—led industry growth, with each key vertical posting positive February gains:
- Retail, hospitality, and food service: 3.3%
- Manufacturing: 2.9%
- Services and distribution: 1.4%
- Public sector: 1.4%
- Healthcare: 1.0%
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Region Snapshot: Shift work volume increased across all four U.S. regions in February:
- West2: 3.2%
- Northeast3: 2.0%
- Midwest4: 1.4%
- Southeast5: 1.3%
Recovery Scale: The UKG Workforce Recovery Scale—a measure of shift work momentum during the COVID-19 pandemic—is now at 86.6, up 0.7 points from January but still down from a high of 87.1 in November and September. By contrast, the Workforce Recovery Scale hit an all-time low of 66.8 in April 2020.
Commentary: Dave Gilbertson, vice president, UKG (Ultimate Kronos Group)
“After bottoming out in January, February saw a return to growth for hourly employees. This, in conjunction with rising vaccination rates and other positive indicators recently released from the Manufacturing sector, indicate the jobs recovery is poised to accelerate in the coming months. March, which marks one year since shutdowns began, will set the stage for the spring recovery.”
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