JobCop Ledger Recap: October 2026 Employer Scores

The State of the Ledger

As of October 4, 2026, the JobCop ledger tracks a total of 118 graded US employers. Across this pool of companies, the average transparency score stands at 65.6 out of 100.

The ledger measures how employers handle candidates during the hiring process. Rather than relying on corporate marketing or recruitment fluff, these numbers reflect baseline metrics derived from tracking systems and candidate signals. When companies keep applicants informed, maintain clean job postings, and respond predictably, their scores reflect it. When they fail to maintain that standard, the data shows the drop.

Over the last seven days, candidates filed 0 anonymous reports. In addition, 0 new cases were opened with Dep. A quiet week in reporting does not mean the job market has suddenly cured itself of hiring drag; it simply means the current dataset reflects existing baseline scoring without new incoming dispute tickets over the past week.

Top Performers on the Ledger

Maintaining operational hygiene and reliable feedback loops places employers at the top of the index. Currently, six employers lead the ledger with the highest transparency scores recorded:

• Defenseunicorns: 76 out of 100
• Pindropsecurity: 75 out of 100
• 2k: 74 out of 100
• Gruve: 74 out of 100
• Discord: 72 out of 100
• 6sense: 72 out of 100

Defenseunicorns sits at the top of the list with a score of 76. Pindropsecurity follows closely at 75, while 2k and Gruve both maintain a 74. Discord and 6sense round out the top group, each tied at a 72 transparency score.

These organizations sit above the 65.6 national average for graded US employers. In an environment where candidates routinely submit applications into digital black holes, maintaining scores in the 70s requires consistent applicant tracking system management and predictable workflow habits.

Employers at the Bottom of the Index

At the opposite end of the ledger sit the employers with the lowest transparency scores. These scores represent lower operational efficiency, slow administrative feedback, or weak candidate interaction habits.

Picktrace and Project Healthy Minds currently tie for the lowest score on the board, each sitting at 50 out of 100. Epsilon3 follows closely behind with a score of 52. Cority and Clickhouse both post a score of 53, while Osedea sits just above them at 54 out of 100.

When an employer drops to a score of 50 or 52, it indicates substantial room for improvement in how job listings and applicant pipelines are managed. For applicants, lower scores signal that applying may involve longer waits or less predictable outcomes compared to top-tier organizations on the ledger.

Reading the Numbers Realistically

An overall average score of 65.6 across 118 graded US employers shows a hiring landscape that is firmly mediocre. It is neither completely broken across every institution nor operating with high efficiency. Most companies cluster around the middle of the scale, balancing basic ATS maintenance against standard recruitment delays.

Tracking these shifts matters because job seekers deserve clear expectations before investing hours into tailored applications and multi-stage interview loops. Knowing whether an employer holds a 76 or a 50 allows candidates to allocate their effort strategically.

Check the Live Transparency Ledger at https://jobcop.app/ledger and file a report at https://jobcop.app/patrol.