The chart has three lines showing the Vanguard hires rate from January 2013 through August 2024 by income category, namely lower-income earners (making less than $57,000 a year), middle-income earners (making $57,000 to $103,000 a year), and higher-income earners (making more than $103,000 a year). All three lines dip at the 2020 onset of the COVID-19-induced recession and then rebound through late 2022. In the final months of the period shown, hiring remains elevated for lower-income earners but falls for middle- and high-income earners.
The period finishes with the hires rate declining in August 2024 to 1.2% for lower-income earners but remaining roughly flat at 0.6% for middle-income earners and 0.7% for higher-income earners.