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Recruitment across the professional staffing market is showing promising signs of recovery.
That’s according to the latest data from the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo).
According to the trade association’s latest Hiring Trends analysis – produced in conjunction with Bullhorn – contract hiring numbers in particular are showing promising signs of improvement, increasing 4% month-on-month and 11% year-on-year in May. While permanent job postings remain below 2024 levels (-32%), they are stabilising, with figures up 1% between April and May 2025.
Placement numbers in the professional staffing market are also showing signs of optimism, with permanent levels up 3% month-on-month in May and contract placements up 1% in the same timeframe.
Samantha Hurley, UK Managing Director at APSCo commented:
“This latest data show signs of optimism that the professional staffing sector will certainly welcome. The increase in contractor jobs and placements demonstrates that demand for expertise is growing, but caution remains in relation to increasing headcount. There will come a point where we see this shift back to the permanent market, but until then, this snippet of optimism should be a much-needed boost to recruiters.”
Andy Ingham, SVP Sales, EMEA & APAC at Bullhorn, added:
"The May data shows a welcome uptick in perm and temp jobs following the dip in April. Permanent placements remain steady despite a lean pipeline - a testament to recruiter resilience and focus on quality. Contract jobs rebounded this month and are up 11% year over year. In a time of global uncertainty, agencies can view these trends with modest confidence."
Press contact
Vickie Collinge
01582 790 705
