Recruiting Market Report - April

​Find out what we are hearing from candidates and clients and get our predictions for the future of the hiring market in the April 2026 edition of The ASP Team Market Report:

Quinn Finnigan - Recruiting Services Leader

Joss Stokke - Recruiting Services Leader

What are we hearing from candidates?
"Yes, I'll consider it."
Professionals today generally fall into two categories: those happy where they are and those open to opportunities. A couple years ago, the latter category of candidate could be pretty picky, able to craft their ideal position and wait for it to come to them. Today, however, we're talking to more and more candidates who are expanding their boundaries of what they'll consider. This is in reaction to a sticky job market (see below).

If you're on the market, either actively or passively, consider expanding your parameters like many others are today - you could find something great out there.

What are we hearing from clients?
"I'm channeling the Rolling Stones."
Did you ever think a song from 62 years ago would be resonating with hiring managers in the year 2026?! Well that's the case today. With the increasing number and quality of interim options and the importance of making the right hire, companies are happily singing the Rolling Stones' classic from 1964 Time Is On My Side.

Clients have been happy to take their time to review candidates, set up interviews, and make hiring decisions. There are numerous factors playing into the continuing draw-out hiring process, but the risk remains constant; high quality candidates do not wait around once they're active in the market. Maybe that wasn't the case in 1964, but it sure is today.
  
What are we feeling about the market?
"Need GPS"
If you're a job seeker (active or passive), you may look at the most recent BLS jobs numbers out for April and see 115,000 jobs added and low, steady unemployment and think to yourself, "I can navigate this market." But those numbers are misleading and several other indicators tell a truer story.

The labor force participation rate continues to fall, which means fewer people are competing for the same number of jobs. Hiring remains concentrated in just a few sectors (you're sitting pretty if you're in healthcare) and white-collar hiring is still sluggish. If you're thinking about navigating the job market, hopefully you realize it's not clear sailing. You'll need the GPS accuracy and precision of a good recruiter to help you get through this fog.

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ASP Hiring Statistics
41 - Days to Place (avg.)
$173,000 - Avg. Placed Controller Salary
31% - Percent of Diversity Hires
96% - Percent of time we get interviews for our clients

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Recent Placements
Controller – Construction – Auburn
Senior Accountant – Real Estate – Seattle 
Controller – Manufacturing – Tukwila

View Our Current Openings

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