The recruiting market feels different than it did a couple of years ago — and the data behind today’s recruiting trends explains why.

Yes, hiring has slowed in some areas and there are slightly more candidates in the market. But no, that hasn’t made your job in recruiting or Recruitment Marketing easier. If anything, it’s made it harder. Employers are hiring more cautiously. Application volume is up, but quality is harder to identify. Candidates are paying closer attention to stability, leadership and culture — and employees are doing the same.

These are some of the most important recruiting trends shaping 2026, and they’re changing how you and your team should think about Recruitment Marketing and employer branding this year.

In 2026, Recruitment Marketing isn’t just about driving applicants or supporting open reqs. It’s about influencing candidate decisions earlier by being more intentional in how you show up. Your rol will be creating clear employer brand signals in a noisy market, shaping candidate intent before recruiters get involved and reinforcing trust with your current team.

Here are five data-backed recruiting trends — and what they mean for how you should approach Recruitment Marketing and employer branding this year.

TL;DR — the recruiting trends shaping 2026

• Hiring demand has eased slightly, but competition for the right talent is still real
• Employers are hiring more cautiously, which raises the bar for Recruitment Marketing
• Applying is easier than ever — and application volume is noisier as a result
• Candidates are paying closer attention to signals of stability, leadership and culture
• Retention matters more when employee confidence is uneven

1. Hiring demand eased — but the labor market hasn’t flipped

Key takeaway
There are slightly more candidates available in the market than two years ago, but competition for the right talent is still very real.

What the data shows
In November 2023, there were 0.7 unemployed workers per job opening. By November 2025, that number increased to 1.1, based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS), which tracks job openings, hires, quits and layoffs on a monthly basis.

What this means to you
If you’re feeling like recruiting pressure has eased a bit — fewer fire drills, slightly more response to outreach — this data explains why. But it also explains why posting a job still doesn’t magically solve your recruiting challenges.

Right now, there isn’t a deep pool of surplus talent waiting to apply to your jobs. Talent acquisition teams that will succeed are spending time on the fundamentals: getting clear on candidate personas and who you’re trying to reach, tightening employer brand messaging and being more intentional about the channels you use and how you show up. In 2026, the right Recruitment Marketing strategy isn’t optional — it’s the difference between “we got applicants” and “we hired the right people.”

Read the full article here.