From Stats to Strategy: Why Career Coaches Need Labor Market Literacy

If you’ve ever felt like the phrase “the job market is weird right now” is coming up in every client session (or career-related conversation), you’re not wrong. 

It is weird.
It’s been weird.
And it’s probably going to stay weird for a while.

But here’s the million-dollar question: can you explain why the market feels weird? And, more importantly, are you informed enough to tell them what to do about it? 

Weird doesn’t mean unpredictable—if you know where to look, and I want to make sure you know where to look! 

Last month, I kicked off the Thrive conference with a half-day bootcamp, including a session all about the Career Economy and the Data Every Coach Should Know. 

It was packed with stats, trends, and decoding tools to help you take your market knowledge to the next level and become even more invaluable to your clients. 

Let’s talk about why data matters in our world and how to use it to your advantage.

Labor Market Literacy Is a Differentiator

You don’t need to be an economist to talk about market trends, but if you’re coaching job seekers or writing resumes in today’s environment, you do need to understand what’s happening in the hiring world and how it impacts your clients.

Here’s what clients really want to know:

• Why is it taking so long to land a new role?
• How long should I expect my job search to take?
• Is now a bad time to job search?
• Am I doing something wrong—or is this just the market?
  

If your only answer is “Yeah, it’s tough out there,” you’re missing an opportunity to lead and add value to your services. When you can pair strategy with insight, you shift from service provider to strategic partner.

What Data Should You Actually Pay Attention To?

It’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the acronyms and reports, so here’s a TL;DR breakdown of my go-to data sources that you can start using right away:

• Bureau of Labor and Statistics [BLS] Economic Situation and JOLTS Reports (Job Openings and Labor Turnover): Want to know where new jobs are being created, hiring is slowing, or how many people are leaving jobs? Start here.
• LinkedIn Workforce Reports: Great for regional trends, in-demand skills, and industry-specific metrics.
• Gallup Workplace Reports: Provides insights into employee engagement and satisfaction levels as a measure of overall workforce sentiment.
• Occupational Outlook Handbook: Long-term projections for job growth and career viability are broken down by career track, which is especially helpful for career changers.
  

You don’t need to follow every source down to the nitty gritty (good luck keeping your sanity if you try). A quick skim to keep your finger on the pulse will help you translate data into useful real-time actions for clients. 

The Three-Question Decoder

To keep it simple, I teach coaches to run every stat, trend, or economic article through this filter:

1. What’s changing?
   
2. Who does it impact?
   
3. What strategy should my clients deploy?
   

Here’s a quick example: 

Let’s say job openings are down in tech, and remote postings are declining.
→ That’s what’s changing.
→ It impacts job seekers looking for remote-first roles in software or startups.
→ So maybe we coach them to expand location flexibility, broaden their target companies, or shift expectations around timelines.

Context can make a world of difference to a client who is fearful and frustrated while also reinforcing your expertise. Win-win!

Turn Stats Into Strategy

Here’s how to use labor market insights to elevate your coaching practice:

✅ Set realistic expectations: Clients feel more grounded when you explain why things are occurring in a certain way.
✅ Reframe “rejection”: Sometimes it’s not them. It’s the market. That knowledge can preserve confidence and keep people in the game.
✅ Target smarter searches: Data tells us where growth is happening and what skills are in demand. Use that to direct networking, upskilling, and outreach efforts.
✅ Stand out as a guide: Coaches who can translate complexity into clarity become indispensable. Period.

Your Clients Deserve More Than “It’s a Tough Market”

They deserve context.
They deserve a strategy.
They deserve a partner who understands economic conditions and how to respond.

You don’t need to be a data analyst. You just need to be curious, informed, and willing to spend a few minutes each month checking the pulse of the career economy.

That’s how you elevate your voice, differentiate your business, and lead clients through the chaos with calm and confidence.

Here’s your challenge this month:
Pick one labor market source and start following it.
→ Skim the BLS JOLTS summary.
→ Glance at LinkedIn’s latest workforce snapshot.
→ Read one article about Q2 hiring trends.

Then ask yourself:

• What changed?
  
• Who does it impact?
  
• And how can I help my clients respond?
  

Stay curious, stay informed, and keep leading with impact. You’ve got this—and your clients will thank you for it.

Your Friend and Coach,
Angie Callen, CPRW, CPCC