January Job Market Trends: Insights for Employers and Job Seekers

We at Aura decided to examine job market trends across industries and countries in January, highlighting this month's dynamics against broader trends observed in other months. We uncover the underlying insights steering the job market's trajectory by spotlighting the shifts and patterns in job postings and hires.

To generate these insights, we have examined data on job postings in the last five years (2019-2023), focusing on January and comparing it to the data from the rest of the year. We aim to identify differences across three lenses: industries, companies, and geographies.

January Recruitment Trends: Industry Insights You Need to Know

In terms of job postings across various industries, staffing & recruiting, alongside IT & services and hospitality, emerged as the sectors with higher activity in January (compared to the rest of the year), hinting that certain sectors offer a window into the broader employment landscape over time (staffing & recruiting, as well as IT & services are among the top-hiring industries, as highlighted in our Industry Hiring Report in November.

In contrast, government administration, retail, and human resources show lower activity, signaling that recruitment activities for these sectors start picking up the pace later in the year.

Industries with higher recruitment activity in January compared to the rest of the year:

• Information Technology Services (8% Increase):
  A substantial surge suggests robust expansion, potentially fueled by technological advancements or increasing digitalization demands.

• Hospitality (5% Increase):
  ‍A notable surge signifies potential revival or strategic shifts within this industry, marking it as an area of interest despite the relatively lower percentage compared to IT services.

• Staffing and Recruiting (3% Increase):
  ‍The growth in January reflects heightened activity, potentially signaling evolving workforce demands or strategic recruitment initiatives.

Industries with lower recruitment activity in January compared to the rest of the year:

• Government Administration (-8%):
  ‍A notable decline highlights potential shifts in hiring dynamics, warranting further examination; partially, this could be driven by fiscal year differences for some governments (e.g., Oct-Sep for the USA) — where recruitment is most active immediately after budget approval and slows down in January.

• Retail (-2%) and Human Resources (-2%):
  Declines may signal challenges or strategic realignments within these sectors.

We have also examined recruitment activity at the company level, identifying those with the highest number of job postings in January.

Most of the companies in the top 10 are staffing and recruitment agencies, representing the majority of the concentrated workforce demand—Randstad, Adecco, and ManpowerGroup, to name a few. Amazon and NHS are also in the top 10 companies with the highest number of job postings (due to their large workforce size), being the only companies not focusing on staffing and recruitment.

When comparing January job posting data with the rest of the year average, the United States typically sees an increase (+3%), along with Great Britain (+8%) and India (+10%), showcasing steady or potential growth opportunities and reflecting positive hiring trends. Substantial downturns underscore potential challenges or shifts in Brazil’s (-18%) and Mexico’s (-14%) economic or industry-specific landscapes.

The data-driven insights from January serve as pivotal benchmarks, providing employers and job seekers with actionable intelligence essential for informed decision-making. These trends offer a comprehensive understanding of the evolving landscape, enabling strategic navigation through the dynamic job market. 

Employers can leverage multifaceted recruitment data across industries, companies, and geographical locations to derive informed insights. This data-driven approach allows employers to select optimal periods for talent acquisition, strategically aligning recruitment efforts during peak talent competition seasons.

For job seekers, these analytical insights serve as a compass, aiding in selecting potential career transitions. Whether pivoting towards a new industry, exploring opportunities in different companies, or contemplating geographic shifts, these insights facilitate informed decision-making. Job seekers can effectively assess areas of interest, making calculated career moves aligned with the evolving job market dynamics.

Leverage January Insights to Drive Smarter Workforce Decisions

At Aura, we support this type of analysis by making workforce data readily available. This enables comparing relevant workforce and organizational metrics between cohorts of companies and candidates to develop a deeper understanding of workforce trends and drive meaningful change.

Harness the power of workforce data to navigate the evolving job market. Book a free demo with Aura to uncover insights tailored to your industry and goals.

Abylay Jetmekov
‍Product Manager, Aura