During the first half of 2011, we saw the hiring demand for Recruiters increase steadily. However, at the end of 2011, we saw the volume of job ads for staffing professionals decline. We were hoping this was a seasonal trend, and that hiring would increase again in 2012. It looks as if it may be starting. In January, more than 6,100 jobs were advertised online – that's a 26% year-over-year increase compared to January 2011.  It is also close to the 2011 high which was seen in August 2011 when just over 6,300 ads were posted online. Many times we watch hiring trends for Recruiters because it can signal that companies are gearing up for more hiring – do you think this increase in demand for Recruiters means there is more planned hiring in 2012?

Hiring Demand for Recruiters – 4 Year Hiring Trend Nationally

Source: WANTED Analytics

The majority of job ads were placed by direct employers, accounting for 55% of all recruiting job ads. Staffing firms placed the remaining 45% of job ads. The top 5 employers that placed the most corporate recruiting jobs included Amazon.com, Insight Global Inc., PDS Technical Services, Microsoft and Capital One.

The 10 metropolitan areas with the highest volume of Recruiter job ads are below. 9 of the 10 saw increases when compared to January 2011. Despite seeing the most hiring demand, the New York metro areas was one of the few cities nationwide that saw a decline. Of these 10 locations, hiring for Recruiters grew the most in Seattle with a 92% increase. Atlanta was close behind in hiring growth at 90%.

10 Metropolitan Areas with the Highest Volume of Job Ads for Recruiters – January 2012 vs. January 2011

Source: WANTED Analytics

According to our Hiring Scale™, Recruiter job openings are likely to be moderately hard-to-fill. Seattle, which we previously mentioned to have one of the fastest growing markets for Recruiters, is also one of the locations experiencing the most difficult conditions when trying to fill these jobs. The average duration of a job ad in Seattle is 42 days – or 6 weeks. Compared to the national average of 5 weeks, this verifies that employers in Seattle are experiencing more difficulties with filling these jobs and are seeing a longer time-to-fill. However, this means that if you are a Recruiter looking for work in the Seattle area, it is likely that there will be competition for your skills and it will be fairly easy for you to find a job.

Hiring Scale for Recruiters in Seattle, Washington vs. Nationally

Source: WANTED Analytics

On the other hand we our Hiring Scale also shows us that the easiest places to source for Recruiters are: Davenport (Iowa), Fort Wayne (Indiana), Springfield (Missouri), York (Pennsylvania), and Omaha (Nebraska). In these locations, hiring demand is fairly low and talent supply is high, meaning there are more candidates to chose among. Conversely, these are some of the most difficult places to find work as a Recruiter.