Total placements made increased by 16% in 2024. This increase was led by the strong growth of contract and temp placements, which increased by 24%. Permanent placements, however, decreased by 10% YOY.

2024 was undoubtedly a tough year for the recruitment industry, with the Office for National Statistics reporting a decrease of 18% in vacancies nationally. For agencies using Firefish, however, the reality was less harsh. The number of jobs created in Firefish in 2024 was equal to the volume in 2023 and the number of job adverts created increased by a modest 2%.

There was a decrease of 5% in the number of permanent jobs created in 2024 and it was permanent placements that suffered, declining by 10% YOY.

There was significant growth in the number of temp and contract placements made, however, with placements in the construction, engineering, manufacturing, logistics and FMCG, and blue collar sectors increasing significantly in the second half of 2024.