New iCIMS Data Shows Job Openings Surge Despite Strikes, Storms and Election Unrest

The iCIMS Insights November 2024 Workforce Report captures hiring activity in the manufacturing, retail and transportation sectors

HOLMDEL, N.J., Nov. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Two massive hurricanes, an ongoing machinist strike, presidential election and a quickly-approaching holiday shopping season have brought significant challenges to the US labor market for both candidates and employers. iCIMS, a leading provider of talent acquisition technology, today released the iCIMS Insights November 2024 Workforce Report, exploring the latest activity in job openings, applications and hires. The report includes a special focus on manufacturing, retail and transportation to understand the impact of timely events on workforce activity in those sectors.

"Despite the myriad of challenges posed by hurricanes, strikes and political uncertainty, the latest data from iCIMS showcases the resilience and adaptability of the US labor market," said Rhea Moss, global head of workforce and customer insights at iCIMS. "Our findings show shifts in job applications and openings across key sectors, highlighting both the opportunities and gaps that employers and job seekers must navigate in a dynamic environment."

Key hiring trends drawn from iCIMS' proprietary platform:

    --  iCIMS monthly indicators remained steady. While the US contended with
        the aftermath of significant hurricanes, an ongoing machinist strike and
        final weeks of a hotly contested presidential election, job openings
        showed a robust jump (up 10% in October from the previous month), job
        applications up 6% and hires down just 1%. Though recent trends give
        reason for optimism, activity historically declines as the year winds
        down, in advance of a potential all-systems-go for hiring teams in the
        new year.
    --  Manufacturing companies have had a rough go in 2024. With close to 13
        million people working in the industry, manufacturing is one of the
        nation's top employers, yet the sector added jobs in only four of the
        past 10 months, according to the Labor Department. iCIMS data shows low
        hiring volume through the second half of 2024 so far, down 12% in
        October, year over year. Yet, job openings and applications are both up
        12% in the same time series. The disparity could point to a widening
        skills gap.
    --  Female application volume in manufacturing increases at almost the same
        rate as men. iCIMS data found applications by women to the manufacturing
        sector grew at almost the same pace as men. Applications from women grew
        60% since January 2022, which was only slightly behind their male
        counterparts, who saw 65% growth during the same period.
    --  Manufacturing STEM jobs are in demand. Application patterns point to the
        changing nature of jobs in the manufacturing sector. The five
        manufacturing occupation types seeing the most growth in applications
        this year are roles in computer & mathematical (up 46%), architecture &
        engineering (up 33%), life, physical & social science (up 21%), business
        & financial operations (up 20%), and production (up 16%).
    --  Storms and strikes impact hiring activity. Both candidate and employer
        activity in the South took a hit following two massive hurricanes this
        fall as applications and hires fell 3% and 9%, respectively. The
        seven-week machinist strike may have taken the air out of job seekers'
        desire to work in manufacturing, as applications were below the national
        industry benchmark.
    --  Holiday hiring is here. With applications for jobs in retail up 25%
        between October 2023 and October 2024, there's an appetite for this kind
        of work. While hires continued to drop (down 14% month over month),
        there is hope for workers to nab last-minute employment for the holiday
        season, as iCIMS data shows a 13% jump in job openings between September
        and October 2024. Meanwhile, hiring for transportation jobs continued to
        fall in October, down 2% from September 2024 and 12% below October 2023.
        Applications are down since August and just 2% higher in October than
        one year earlier.

With a robust dataset from over 3 million global platform users, more than 200 million applications and over 5.5 million hires, the award-winning iCIMS Insights program provides essential information for better decision making. Download the iCIMS Insights November 2024 Workforce Report for a deeper dive into the latest workforce trends.

About iCIMS, Inc.
iCIMS is a leading provider of talent acquisition technology that enables organizations everywhere to build winning workforces. For over 20 years, iCIMS has been at the forefront of talent acquisition transformation. iCIMS empowers thousands of organizations worldwide with the right tools to meet their evolving needs across the talent journey and drive business success. Its AI-powered hiring platform is designed to improve efficiency, cut recruiting costs and build exceptional experiences for candidates and recruiters. For more information, visit www.icims.com.

Contact
Carlee Capawana
Director of Corporate Communications, iCIMS
Carlee.capawana@icims.com
9089476572

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SOURCE iCIMS, Inc.