Michael Thomas

And for some good news... According to a report by APSCo in association with Bullhorn, contract hiring numbers across the UK have been showing promising signs of improvement, up 4% month on month and 11% year on year in May. Permanent job postings remain down 32% on 2024 levels but are stabilising and were actually up 1% from April to May. Permanent placements across professional services were up 3% month on month in May and contract placements up 1% in the same timeframe. Samantha Hurley, MD at APSCo commented that 'the latest data shows signs of optimism'. These might only be green shoots, but I'll take that. Always good to share something positive at the beginning of the week, right? _________________________ If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your network and follow me, Simon Gee for my insights and daily content about the staffing sector.

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As a UK recruitment group, we naturally focus on domestic trends - Brexit impacts, skills shortages, regional variations. But LinkedIn's State of the Labor Market report regularly offers a global lens that puts our challenges into deeper context. What can we see on the July 2025 report? The UK stands out - and not in a good way. While most European markets saw their hiring slowdowns moderate in H1 2025, we bucked the trend. Our hiring decline actually accelerated to -5% (Jan-Jun) vs just -1% in H2 2024. France, Germany, and the Netherlands all saw their pace of decline ease significantly. What strikes me most when reading the latest report is how interconnected global labour markets have become. Mexico's struggles reflect US trade policy changes. Germany continues wrestling with skilled labour shortages and energy shock aftereffects. Even emerging markets like India show 19% more applicants per role. Three key takeaways for UK recruitment according to this report include: ➡️ The global "stabilisation" everyone's talking about? We're missing it. While markets worldwide are finding their footing, UK hiring momentum continues deteriorating. ➡️ Competition dynamics vary wildly by geography. Where we're seeing candidate shortages in certain sectors, other markets are drowning in applications. ➡️ Industry divergence is stark everywhere - not just here. Utilities are down sharply globally (renewable energy particularly hit), while hospitality shows pockets of growth. In terms of the bigger picture, growth projections remain sluggish across major economies, resembling late-cycle patterns rather than expansion phases. With interest rates staying restrictive in the US through 2025 and ongoing trade uncertainties, workforce confidence remains subdued globally. For UK recruiters, this reinforces the need to think beyond our borders - understanding these global macro forces is crucial for advising clients and anticipating how international trends will impact domestic hiring patterns. What are you seeing in your markets? Are we experiencing this differently regionally? #ukrecruitment #globaltalent #workforceinsights #linkedin #recuitmentleaders #businessleaders #labourmarket #jobmarket

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What’s the current job market like? It’s one of the most common questions I get asked. People want to know what’s happening, how tariffs are impacting the economy and what this means for the labour market. My answer? We’ve never been busier, but not for the right reasons. We’re seeing two major trends driving demand, especially at the executive level: ✅ A wave of retirements ✅ An increase in terminations The market is in flux, creating uncertainty and significantly impacting people and their employment. But this also creates opportunities for both candidates and employers. Be sure to consider why you’re hiring, what you’re looking to do and what you’re looking to accomplish. Want to learn more about the main drivers in today’s labour market? Send me a message! #JobMarket #Hiring #ExecutiveSearch #Ottawa

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