Main Street Health Report
August 2024
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.
Similar to last few years, “Employees Working” was lowest in August compared to previous months
- 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
Similar to last few years, “Employees Working” was lowest in August compared to previous months
7.5%
July “Hours Worked” dropped at the same rate this year as was in 2023 7.5% 6.3%
Homebase data, by region
All regions, except southwest, saw fewer “Businesses Open” compared to last month
What the data shows
Each finding below takes one measure of Main Street, participation, hours, wages, hiring and turnover, and compares August 2024 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
Seasonal trend of summer slowdown continues
Similar to last few years, “Employees Working” was lowest in August compared to previous months
(Monthly change in 7-day average of “Employees Working”, relative to January 2024)
| Category | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan – Feb | 6.0% | 1.4% | 2.1% |
| Feb – Mar | (0.2%) | 0.1% | 1.2% |
| Mar – Apr | 0.7% | 1.5% | 0.3% |
| Apr – May | 1.5% | 1.0% | 1.1% |
| May – Jun | 3.2% | 1.8% | 2.5% |
| Jun – Jul | (0.9%) | (0.4%) | (1.9%) |
| Jul – Aug | (2.5%) | (3.2%) | (2.8%) |
Hours Worked
August came inline with last year, following a weak July
“Hours Worked” dropped at the same rate this year as was in 2023
(Monthly change in 7-day average of “Hours Worked”, relative to January 2024)
| Category | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan – Feb | 6.2% | 1.5% | 2.7% |
| Feb – Mar | (0.2%) | 0.9% | 2.1% |
| Mar – Apr | 0.6% | 0.6% | (0.6%) |
| Apr – May | 2.1% | 1.6% | 2.0% |
| May – Jun | 3.3% | 2.2% | 2.7% |
| Jun – Jul | (0.6%) | (0.1%) | (2.0%) |
| Jul – Aug | (2.4%) | (3.1%) | (2.5%) |
Homebase data, by region
Southwest recovered from a low July
All regions, except southwest, saw fewer “Businesses Open” compared to last month
(Month-over-month change in core economic indicators, by Census region)
| Region | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midwest | no data | no data | −2.0% |
| Northeast | no data | no data | −2.5% |
| Southeast | no data | no data | −1.5% |
| Southwest | no data | no data | +3.4% |
| West | no data | no data | −1.4% |
| Mid-Atlantic | no data | no data | −1.5% |
| Other | no data | no data | −4.5% |
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
All industries saw decline similar to previous years
Industries with seasonal employment saw fewer “Employees Working” as school year approaches
(Monthly change in 7-day average of “Employees Working”, relative to January 2024)
| Category | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan – Feb | 6.0% | 1.4% | 2.1% |
| Feb – Mar | (0.2%) | 0.1% | 1.2% |
| Mar – Apr | 0.7% | 1.5% | 0.3% |
| Apr – May | 1.5% | 1.0% | 1.1% |
| May – Jun | 3.2% | 1.8% | 2.5% |
| Jun – Jul | (0.9%) | (0.4%) | (1.9%) |
| Jul – Aug | (2.5%) | (3.2%) | (2.8%) |
Entertainment includes events/festivals, sports/recreation, parks, movie theaters, and other categories.
Hourly Wages
Wages grew steadily in August, similar to July
In line with last 2 year’s trend, “Hourly Wages” in August grew at a similar rate as July
(Monthly change in average “Hourly Wages” across all jobs)
| Category | August 2024 |
|---|---|
| Food & Drink | $12.87 |
| Entertainment | $13.78 |
| Retail | $14.33 |
| Health Care | $18.55 |
| Professional Services | $15.46 |
Hourly Wages
“Hourly Wages” ticks up across all industries
Entertainment recorded the most month on month growth across all sectors
(Average “Hourly Wages” across all jobs)
| Category | August 2024 |
|---|---|
| Food & Drink | $12.87 |
| Entertainment | $13.78 |
| Retail | $14.33 |
| Health Care | $18.55 |
| Professional Services | $15.46 |
Hourly Wages
Labor costs show no signs of slowing down
Average Hourly Wages continue to climb for the fifth straight month this year
(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% |
| Aug'24 | 28.5% |
Number of Jobs Added
Hiring demand surges in August, following a weak July
As summer tapers off, businesses look to add jobs to their rosters despite higher labor costs
(Monthly change in average “Number of Jobs Added” across all jobs)
| Category | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan – Feb | (2.9%) | 2.0% | 3.1% |
| Feb – Mar | 1.4% | (3.3%) | 0.7% |
| Mar – Apr | 8.7% | 7.3% | 7.0% |
| Apr – May | 1.9% | 3.8% | 2.8% |
| May – Jun | (1.8%) | (1.4%) | 1.2% |
| Jun – Jul | (6.1%) | (7.0%) | (11.7%) |
| Jul – Aug | 3.7% | 5.4% | 8.1% |
Number of Jobs Archived
Turnover picks up alongside hiring
Simultaneous rise of Turnover and Hiring, in line with last year, nets out gain in hiring
(Monthly change in average “Number of Jobs Archived” across all jobs)
| Category | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan – Feb | 1.4% | (3.9%) | (1.7%) |
| Feb – Mar | (5.0%) | (2.1%) | (0.1%) |
| Mar – Apr | 3.4% | 3.7% | 9.6% |
| Apr – May | (0.1%) | 7.7% | 6.0% |
| May – Jun | 1.8% | 1.9% | (10.8%) |
| Jun – Jul | (4.0%) | (0.2%) | (4.8%) |
| Jul – Aug | 12.1% | 12.1% | 5.7% |
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.
Top-rated app built for small business teams.
We love talking data
Questions, or real-time access to Homebase data feeds?
Get the next report
A new report publishes every month. Leave an email and we will send the next one, or take this month with you now.
One email a month, the report and nothing else.
Run your team on the data behind Main Street
Scheduling, time clocks, payroll, hiring and team communication, free to get started.
Recognized by the people who cover small business.
Best Payroll for Hourly Teams
2024
Best in Business for Best AI Implementation
2025
Best Employee Scheduling
2025
Best HR & Employee App
2025
