Regardless of a month-over-month slowdown from June to July, our information reveals the staffing trade continues to outperform, with year-over-year progress remaining robust. Non permanent job orders had been up 5% over final 12 months, and fill charges up 8%.
The month-over-month slowdown is price watching, however it seems extra like a cooling of momentum than a reversal. What’s altering is how a lot effort recruiters are placing in to maneuver jobs via the pipeline.
Everlasting job orders stay above 2025 ranges
Whereas everlasting job orders dipped 1% in July in comparison with June, they remained 4% above July 2025 ranges, displaying that demand for everlasting hiring continues to be stronger than it was a 12 months in the past.
The larger shift is within the tempo of progress. After gaining momentum earlier this 12 months, everlasting job orders declined 1% in July following June’s rebound. That doesn’t essentially level to a downturn, however it may recommend the speedy progress seen earlier in 2026 could also be beginning to soften.
The identical sample seems in everlasting fill charges. Fill charges fell 5% from June, which means a smaller share of everlasting job orders had been stuffed inside 90 days. Nonetheless, they remained 8% above July 2025 ranges. In different phrases, everlasting hiring has slowed from its current tempo, however it’s nonetheless performing higher than it was a 12 months in the past.
What July’s recruiter effort actually indicators
Recruiter effort is the clearest sign of change this month. Job orders had been flat or down in July, whereas fill charges remained above final 12 months’s ranges. On the identical time, recruiters needed to put in additional effort to maintain jobs transferring via the pipeline.
For momentary roles, submissions per job order elevated 3.5% in July. Which means recruiters made extra submissions for every job order than they did the month earlier than, regardless that momentary job orders had been primarily flat.
That doesn’t imply the market is abruptly changing into troublesome to navigate. Non permanent fill charges are nonetheless 8% above 2025 ranges, and everlasting fill charges are additionally 8% larger than final 12 months. However the mixture of robust fill charges and rising effort is price watching: staffing companies are nonetheless getting jobs stuffed, however it might be taking extra work to get there.
Studying the shift from June to July
June introduced a rebound in job orders, however July was extra subdued. Non permanent orders had been primarily flat, everlasting orders declined 1%, and fill charges softened for everlasting roles. Recruiters additionally needed to put in additional effort to maintain hiring transferring.
The info suggests the speedy momentum seen earlier in 2026 could also be beginning to ease, relatively than the market coming into a downturn. 12 months-over-year comparisons stay optimistic, with each momentary and everlasting job orders and fill charges above 2025 ranges. The query is whether or not July’s larger recruiter effort is a one-month fluctuation or the start of a longer-term pattern.
Examine again with Bullhorn Insights initially of each month for the most recent hiring outlook and the insights it is advisable to keep forward of the market.
