Hiring freezes everywhere (except here)

Signal Summary: Some sectors are hiring like crazy while everyone else's on pause. Meanwhile, recruiters who cracked the personalization code are dominating, and ManpowerGroup just ended an 11-quarter losing streak. Plus, when “cultural fit” crosses into Federal lawsuit territory.

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^{PS - I draw all images with an iPad Pro, Apple Pencil, and Procreate.}

HERE’S WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK ↓

SIGNAL 1
Who's actually hiring while everyone else ghosts candidates

While most industries have shrunk or flatlined, three sectors are throwing hiring parties.

Who's still hiring*:

• Healthcare added 31,000 jobs (nurses, radiologic techs, physical therapists)

• Social assistance added 16,000 jobs (social workers, home care, mental health services)

• Leisure & hospitality added 28,000 jobs (restaurants, bars, hotels)

• Together, these three sectors account for nearly all job growth

^{*August BLS reports}

The roles: Clinical positions like nursing assistants and phlebotomists. Non-clinical roles like credentialing, insurance verification, patient registration. Plus bartenders, servers, and hospitality managers. Everyone else? Hiring freeze mode.

Signal → Strategy: Pivot your recruiting to healthcare, social assistance, and hospitality immediately. These sectors are hiring, while finance and retail are ghosting candidates harder than a bad first date.

Go deeper: USA Today Hiring Report

SIGNAL 2
The personalization gap: Winners get 68% opens, losers get ignored

HireEZ analyzed 2.7 million recruiting emails. The winners? Recruiters using 3-5 personalized variables.

What actually works:

• Subject lines with candidate's company + name hit 68.6% open rate, 24% reply rate

• AI-supported emails got 17.6% reply rate vs. 13% without AI

• Sweet spot is 50-150 words and 5-9 word subject lines

Beyond the inbox: Recruiting doesn’t stop at outreach. Job ads, career sites, and redoployment/nurture campaigns are opportunities to personalize the candidate experience.

Signal → Strategy: Audit your email templates and job postings immediately. If you're not personalizing, you're getting buried by competitors who cracked the code. Looking for tech to help? Check out Sourcewhale 

Go deeper: Talroo Personalization Report

SIGNAL 3
ManpowerGroup finally breaks its 11-quarter losing streak

After nearly three years of consecutive declines, ManpowerGroup posted revenue growth. Plot twist nobody saw coming.

The comeback:

• Q3 revenue hit $4.63 billion, up 2.3% year-over-year (beat Wall Street estimates)

• First quarterly organic revenue increase since Q4 2022 (it's been a long, dark tunnel)

• Manpower brand grew 3% while Experis and Talent Solutions still struggling

The reality check: One quarter doesn't make a recovery. The staffing industry's been in the wilderness long enough that even tiny wins feel like championships. But this could signal the market's finally stabilizing.

Signal → Strategy: Watch ManpowerGroup's next two quarters closely. If this trend holds, market confidence returns, and clients start opening budgets. Position yourself now for increased demand instead of scrambling later.

Go deeper: Staffing Industry Analysts Report

RECRUITING CONFESSIONAL
When "Cultural Fit" Crosses Into Federal Lawsuit Territory

Recruiting Confessional A weekly series featuring anonymous stories from recruiting and staffing professionals. Submit yours here.

The Setup: Male manager calls about filling open bartender positions. Seems routine at first.

The Request: "Only send female candidates. Men spend the money, buy the drinks, and they want to look at something pretty behind the bar." He actually said this out loud.

The Lesson: Yes, we just told you hospitality is hiring, but maybe skip this manager’s qualification criteria unless you want to hang out with the nerds at the EEOC.

Have a story? Submit it here

WEEKLY POLL

SHARE THE SIGNALS
3 people you should share these signals with:

1. Your healthcare staffing buddy who's printing money

2. That recruiter still sending generic mass emails with 1% reply rates

3. Your temp agency friend who needs this ManpowerGroup news ASAP