Main Street Health Report
April 2025
Labor and wage stats
Every month we measure how small businesses are actually doing, from the timesheets of more than 100,000 of them: who is working, how many hours, what they are paid, and how that compares with the same month in previous years.
Stable trends reflect seasonal hiring rhythm as businesses gear up for summer
- Hourly employees
- 2M+
- Small businesses
- 100K+
- Measured, not surveyed
- Timesheet data
Hourly employees
Small businesses
Measured, not surveyed
Main Street at a glance
The top things to know this month
Employees Working
Stable trends reflect seasonal hiring rhythm as businesses gear up for summer
Hours Worked
“Hours Worked” shows consistent trends, similar to 2023
Homebase data, by region
Midwest and Northeast regions show increased demand while other regions dipped slightly
What the data shows
Each finding below takes one measure of Main Street, participation, hours, wages, hiring and turnover, and compares April 2025 with the same month in the two years before it. Every chart is drawn from the figures, which are published alongside it for anyone who wants to check or reuse them.
Employees Working
Employee Participation Holds Steady
Stable trends reflect seasonal hiring rhythm as businesses gear up for summer
(Monthly change in 7-day average of “Employees Working”, relative to January of respective year)
| Category | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan – Feb | 1.4% | 2.1% | (1.4%) |
| Feb – Mar | 0.1% | 1.2% | 2.1% |
| Mar – Apr | 1.5% | 0.3% | 1.1% |
Hours Worked
Employee Activity Stabilizes After Robust March
“Hours Worked” shows consistent trends, similar to 2023
(Monthly change in 7-day average of “Hours Worked”, relative to January of respective year)
| Category | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan – Feb | 1.5% | 2.7% | (1.4%) |
| Feb – Mar | 0.9% | 2.1% | 2.9% |
| Mar – Apr | 0.6% | (0.6%) | 0.6% |
Homebase data, by region
Business Activity Remained Even Across the Country
Midwest and Northeast regions show increased demand while other regions dipped slightly
(Month-over-month change in core economic indicators, by Census region)
| Region | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midwest | no data | +0.3% | +0.7% |
| Northeast | no data | +0.5% | +0.5% |
| Southeast | no data | −0.9% | −0.7% |
| Southwest | no data | −0.7% | −0.3% |
| West | no data | −0.7% | −0.8% |
| Mid-Atlantic | no data | −0.2% | +0.3% |
| Other | no data | −0.9% | −0.2% |
Region classification - Midwest: ND, SD, NE, KS, MN, IA, MO, WI, IL, IN, OH, MI; West: NV, UT, AZ, NM, CO, WY, MT, ID, OR, WA,
Employees Working
Industries Ramp Up Workforce for Summer Rush
Employee participation increases notably in Entertainment and Home & Repair sectors
(Monthly change in 7-day average of “Employees Working”, relative to January of respective year)
| Category | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan – Feb | 1.4% | 2.1% | (1.4%) |
| Feb – Mar | 0.1% | 1.2% | 2.1% |
| Mar – Apr | 1.5% | 0.3% | 1.1% |
Entertainment includes events/festivals, sports/recreation, parks, movie theaters, and other categories.
Hourly Wages
Wages Grew Slightly, Similar to March
Food & Drink wages remain steady as other industries see modest increases
(Monthly change in average “Hourly Wages” across all jobs)
| Category | April 2025 |
|---|---|
| Food & Drink | $13.26 |
| Entertainment | $14.37 |
| Retail | $14.95 |
| Health Care | $19.44 |
| Professional Services | $17.53 |
Hourly Wages
Wage Growth Broadens, Led by Professional Services
Food & Drink remains flat, while other industries experience steady wage increases
(Average “Hourly Wages” across all jobs)
| Category | April 2025 |
|---|---|
| Food & Drink | $13.26 |
| Entertainment | $14.37 |
| Retail | $14.95 |
| Health Care | $19.44 |
| Professional Services | $17.53 |
Hourly Wages
Labor Cost Growth Eases, Compared to Prior Years
Cost increases slow down, following similar growth in March, easing pressure on SMBs
(Percent change in average “Hourly Wages” across all jobs, relative to January 2022)
| Period | All industries |
|---|---|
| Point 1 | 1.3% |
| Point 2 | 1.1% |
| Point 3 | 2.7% |
| Point 4 | 3.3% |
| Point 5 | 3.7% |
| Point 6 | 4.4% |
| Point 7 | 5.1% |
| Point 8 | 6.0% |
| Point 9 | 7.3% |
| Point 10 | 7.7% |
| Point 11 | 9.4% |
| Jan'23 | 11.8% |
| Point 13 | 13.4% |
| Point 14 | 13.5% |
| Point 15 | 14.1% |
| Point 16 | 15.0% |
| Point 17 | 15.7% |
| Point 18 | 16.6% |
| Point 19 | 16.7% |
| Point 20 | 18.5% |
| Point 21 | 19.8% |
| Point 22 | 21.2% |
| Point 23 | 22.2% |
| Jan'24 | 24.7% |
| Point 25 | 25.9% |
| Point 26 | 25.8% |
| Point 27 | 26.5% |
| Point 28 | 26.9% |
| Point 29 | 27.5% |
| Point 30 | 27.9% |
| Point 31 | 28.5% |
| Point 32 | 29.3% |
| Point 33 | 29.8% |
| Point 34 | 30.9% |
| Point 35 | 31.4% |
| Jan'25 | 33.7% |
| Point 37 | 35.6% |
| Point 38 | 35.8% |
| Apr'25 | 35.9% |
Number of Jobs Added
Seasonal Hiring Accelerates Ahead of Summer Demand
Seasonal hiring, driven by outdoor industries, aligns with hiring pattern in prior years
(Monthly change in average “Number of Jobs Added” across all jobs)
| Category | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan – Feb | 2.0% | 3.1% | 5.0% |
| Feb – Mar | (3.3%) | 0.7% | 0.4% |
| Mar – Apr | 7.3% | 7.0% | 5.5% |
Number of Jobs Archived
Turnover Ticks Up as SMBs Adjust Staffing for Summer
Increased turnover follows typical seasonal hiring adjustments
(Monthly change in average “Number of Jobs Archived” across all jobs)
| Category | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan – Feb | (3.9%) | (1.7%) | 0.4% |
| Feb – Mar | (2.1%) | (0.1%) | (3.9%) |
| Mar – Apr | 3.7% | 9.6% | 2.5% |
How we measure Main Street
The dataset is based on Homebase data gathered from more than 100,000 businesses and 2 million hourly employees active in the US on our platform, one of the largest and most trusted sources of real-time data on employment growth across the small business landscape.
Data from prior years uses similar cohort-based logic. Unless indicated otherwise, daily figures are calculated relative to the median value for that specific day for the baseline month, net of the first four days of the month.
Every chart on this page is drawn from the underlying figures rather than copied from the PDF. Those figures come from the same model the report is built on, which is refreshed each month as more timesheets land, so a value here may differ slightly from the one printed in the original slide. The PDF stays available above as published.
If you use any content from this report, please include a link to joinhomebase.com.
Measured from timesheets, not surveys
- Hourly employees
- 2M+
- Small businesses
- 100K+
Hourly employees
Small businesses
- Hours worked
Calculated from hours recorded in Homebase timecards.
- Businesses open
Based on whether a business had at least one employee clock-in.
- Employees working
The distinct number of hourly workers with at least one clock-in.
- Wage inflation
The monthly change in average hourly wages at businesses that ran Payroll with Homebase in March 2026 and March 2025.
The story behind the numbers
Read the monthly analysis
Every month the team writes up what these figures mean for the people running the businesses behind them: what changed, what it costs, and what to do about it.
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