Recruitment Statistics - August 2024
Job Flow Index
The Firefish Job Flow Index allows you to explore recruitment statistics drawn from over 750 recruitment agencies.
Recruitment Overview
Following an extremely strong month in July, August experienced an expected seasonal decline. There is a split story, however, with temp & contract placements performing very well while permanent placements struggled. When compared to August 2023, the YOY performance was strong with total placements increasing by 7%. This was driven by a YOY increase in temp & contract placements, which were up by 13%, while YOY perm placements decreased by 17%. Permanent placements were also at the lowest level to date in 2024, while temp & contract placements achieved the second-highest-volume behind July.
In August:
- The total volume of placements decreased by 12%.
- The volume of jobs created decreased by 14%.
- Temporary & contract placements decreased by 10%.
- Permanent placements decreased by 12%.
In every sector, excluding Blue Collar, the volume of placements made in August decreased when compared to a strong July. The Engineering, Manufacturing, Logistics & FMCG, Construction, and Professional Services sectors all achieved the second-highest-volume of temp & contract placements to date in 2024, despite the MOM decrease.
Despite a decrease in placement volumes for both perm and temp & contract, the finance and accountancy sector achieved a 20% increase in revenue per recruiter in August.
The monthly Job Flow Index analyses recruitment statistics and industry trends to provide recruitment agency leaders with insight into market conditions.
Placements by sector
Permanent placements in the professional services sector decreased by 16% in August.
Temp & contract placements in the professional services sector decreased by 15% in August, but remained 61% above the average volume for 2024.
Professional Services
Finance & Accountancy
Permanent placements in the finance and accountancy sector decreased by 4% in August.
Temporary & contract placements in this sector decreased by 17% in August.
The average value of placements made in August was high in the finance and accountancy sector and the average revenue per recruiter increased by 20% despite the decrease in placement volumes.
Technology
Permanent placements in the technology sector decreased by 20% in August.
Temporary & contract placements in the technology sector decreased by 14% in August.
Jobs created and number of placements
The number of jobs created decreased by 14% in August. The total number of placements made decreased by 12% in August.
The total number of placements made in August 2024 was 7% higher than in August 2023.
After July, August was the second-highest-performing month for placements so far in 2024.
The number of permanent jobs created in August decreased by 16%. There was an 15% decrease in the number of permanent placements made in August.
August had the lowest volume of permanent placements so far in 2024.
The number of temp & contract jobs created decreased by 12% in August. There was a 10% decrease in the number of temp & contract placements made in August.
The total number of temp & contract placements made in August 2024 was 19% higher than in August 2023.
After July, August was the second-highest-performing month for temp & contract placements so far in 2024.
Permanent
Temp & Contract
Placements
Explore monthly recruitment statistics including agency placement trends. Compare jobs created to placements made and explore performance by sector.
Construction
Permanent placements in the construction sector decreased by 18% in August.
Temporary & contract placements in the construction sector decreased by 9% in August. This was the second-best-performing month so far in 2024.
Engineering, Manufacturing, Logistics & FMCG
Permanent placements in the engineering, manufacturing, logistics & FMCG sector decreased by 11% in August.
Temporary & contract placements in this sector decreased by 7% in August. This was the second-highest performance so far in 2024.
Sales & Digital Marketing
Permanent placements in the sales & digital marketing sector decreased by 22% in August. This was the lowest volume of permanent placements to date in 2024.
Temporary and contract placements in sales & digital marketing decreased by 4% in August.
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Blue Collar
Permanent placements in the blue collar sector increased by 5% in August.
Temporary and contract placements in blue collar sector remained unchanged in August, performing at the highest level to date in 2024 for the second month running.
Recruitment Marketing Statistics
Explore monthly recruitment agency marketing trends. Discover how different recruitment marketing strategies are performing.
Application Source
The source of applications for your agency's job is a good indicator of the strength of your agency's brand presence and candidate loyalty.
In August 69% of applications were made by new candidates.
In August there was a 5% decrease in the total number of applications. Applications from existing candidates decreased by 4%. Applications from new candidates decreased by 6%.
Job Adverts
This chart shows the number of new job adverts posted each month across all sectors and platforms. Multiple adverts can be posted per job, but this data indicates the volume of active adverts per month.
The number of job adverts posted decreased by 27% in August. This was the lowest volume of job adverts posted so far in 2024.
The number of quality applications per job remained steady at 5 in August, for the 5th consecutive month.
Quality Applications Per Job
Applications from re-engaged candidates
90% of applications from re-engaged candidates were generated by Job Alerts in June.
Candidate applications from web sources
61% of applications from web sources were generated by Job Boards in June.
Rob Samuel
IT Manager, IntaPeople
Spec CVs Sent
The sending of speculative CVs (when there is no formal role available) can indicate market confidence and business development activity. There is a clear correlation between Spec CV activity and the number of jobs created in any given month.
There was a 20% decrease in the number of spec CVs sent in August.
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