Hiring hibernation: What the recent iCIMS Workforce Report reveals

November 26, 2025

 

Trent Cotton

5 min read

Employers across industries are watching their open positions multiply, but the race to fill seats has become a game of patience. Applications are up year over year, but the application trend has started to change.

If you’re leading recruiting efforts or guiding a talent acquisition team, our latest iCIMS Workforce Report reveals beyond what’s happening in the labor market. The challenges for hiring teams determined to turn momentum into results have become complex. The insights and strategies in this report will help you identify your next hiring opportunity before the competition, and your next candidate, moves on.

What’s latest data on candidate interest and hiring activity?

In October, job openings hit their highest levels in at least twelve months, yet actual hiring trailed behind. Applications dropped by 7% from September to October, though they remain 9% above last year’s number. The average applicant per opening (APO) reported 33, compared to 30 this time last year. This is not a remarkable increase, but we must keep in mind that many talent organizations are still operating with fewer staff members than before.

The more concerning metric is the hiring trends. We are 5% lower year-over-year, despite the higher application volume. This could be the result of a reduced recruiting staff attempting to keep their head above water. The more likely cause is the uncertainty in macroeconomic factors, which creates a hiring pause in many organizations.

Adding to the economic uncertainty, many organizations are evaluating their staffing plans as the impact of AI on the workforce continues to be a topic of discussion. According to a Wall Street Journal article, many large companies are rethinking headcount as they respond to economic pressure and the growing reach of automation tools.

Firms like JPMorgan Chase and Walmart are maintaining their staff numbers. In contrast, Amazon and others have executed layoffs not out of immediate financial need, but in a bid to n a period of rapid technological technical change. The draw of automation and software-driven efficiency is prompting leaders to explore how far they can stretch productivity with smaller teams before committing to new hires. This caution is rooted in more than cost control—it’s a sign of management betting on technology and process redesign to do more with less, at least for now.

What are the hiring trends in manufacturing?

In the manufacturing sector, the APO has climbed from 41 in October 2024 to 47 in October 2025. Yet the pace of hiring stalled following strong peaks in April and July, which cooled candidate momentum. In fact, hiring in manufacturing is down 7% year-over-year, while openings are up 14%. One concerning downward trend is that application volume continued in October, resulting in 12% year-over-year growth compared to August.

Candidates are showing up and applying, but the funnel narrows quickly, indicating organizational caution has resulted in processes that are slow and sometimes indecisive. Despite higher application volume, the time to fill in manufacturing in October was 42 days compared to 40 days last year, indicating that decision-making speed is not keeping pace with market activity.

Which demographic trends are reshaping the US workforce?

Demographic changes deepen these trends. Tech jobs, formerly highly sought after, have lost ground among younger workers. The share of applicants ages 18–24 pursuing tech roles fell from 63% to 53% over the past year. Youth unemployment climbed from 9.0% in January to 10.5% in August, adding pressure but not translating into more enthusiastic interest for technical positions. Meanwhile, mid-career and older candidates are less likely to leave current roles, likely reflecting a cautious response to economic conditions.

For manufacturing and finance, layoffs in tech have provided a talent pool eager for new opportunities, and transferable skills are in demand. Jobs in transportation and material moving grew by 28% over the year. Still, the friction is not about attracting applicants. Candidates drop out of the process if kept waiting or left without updates. A rising APO indicates interest, but if the time to fill increases, fewer candidates remain engaged throughout the full process.

The most recent round of layoff announcements will only exacerbate these trends as more people enter the workforce. While layoffs might suggest a surplus of candidates, actual hiring is narrowing around fewer, highly specialized openings, creating bottlenecks for companies and frustration for candidates. Unless employers streamline their hiring processes and adapt to shifting skill demands, friction in recruiting is set to remain high in 2025.

Actionable recommendations

Given the data, leaders across organizations should make several strategic adjustments.

• Re-engage candidates who were active earlier this year. It is vital to maintain full pipelines and keep top-of-funnel momentum steady, even as applicant activity fluctuates month to month. Organizations should use pools in their applicant tracking system (ATS) or, better, in a candidate relationship management (CRM) platform. This will enable targeted campaigns to help recruiters engage the most qualified candidates faster.
• Audit the sources most responsible for recent hires. More applicants do not mean qualified talent. Regularly reviewing and refining which channels deliver quality over quantity can help teams avoid overwhelming themselves with poor fits and focus energy where it matters.
• Emphasize speed, but do not sacrifice quality. If business caution dictates a slower approach, push hiring managers to prioritize the most critical roles. Delays not only frustrate candidates, but they also drive the best talent elsewhere. Focus on the speed affecting the most qualified candidates in the market.
• Employ smarter tools for candidate engagement. Simple solutions like scheduling automation, instant communication channels and frictionless interview requests can help talent teams speed the process without sacrificing judgment. These improvements reduce waiting periods and keep candidates engaged until decisions are made.

While the challenges will persist, organizations that focus on process clarity, rapid candidate movement and data-driven sourcing will be best positioned for success through both 2025 and beyond.

Conclusion

The theme of our November Workforce report is one of balance. The data shows that talent is out there and ready to move, but organizations must decide whether their hiring strategies can keep pace with a changing workforce and a rapidly evolving economy.

Those who refine their processes, embrace data-backed agility and strengthen candidate relationships will  fill roles faster and build more resilient teams.

Download the latest iCIMS Insights Report for an exclusive look into the latest labor market activity and trends. Data is drawn from our proprietary database of employer and job seeker activity, which includes hundreds of millions of data points across job openings, job applications and hires.