Recruiting Market Report - March

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

Quinn Finnigan - Recruiting Services Leader

Joss Stokke - Recruiting Services Leader

What are we hearing from candidates?
"The culture has changed."
This past month we are hearing from more candidates who are looking for a new job because something significant at their current workplace has changed. Often this change is related to a merger and acquisition transaction where the leadership has changed, there are talks of layoffs, or the rules are changing, such as going to an in-person environment from a hybrid environment. It is clear is most people do not like uncertainty and change, and it seems to be in the air more so than usual.

What are we hearing from clients?
"I want to change the title and decrease the salary."
Many companies are struggling to grow. As a result, they have had to restructure teams. When people leave due to this circumstance, companies are often trying to hire someone at a lower salary and level of responsibility for essentially the same role. The reasons behind this are many. Some companies feel they built up their team the last few years, so there is less for the person coming in to do. Other are trying to alleviate financial business pressures. Others have said they have streamlined using AI and automation, so not as much work is required. This trend is causing the current state of job hugging to continue.

What are we feeling about the market?
“Neutral.”
The Bureau of Labor Statistics released their March job report on Friday, April 3rd. The results were better than expected with 178,000 jobs added vs a decline of 133,000 jobs in February (February jobs numbers were revised downwards by 41,000). Healthcare continues to be responsible for much of the growth. Manufacturing and construction also contributed. This is the first time in most of the past year manufacturing numbers have increased. The federal government continues to shed jobs. Unemployment decreased slightly to 4.3%, continuing this historically low period, while wages rose less than expected. Uncertainty looms on the horizon with rising energy prices and the unknown long-term impact of AI. As a result, forecasters expect weakening job creation in the months to come. This mixed bag has us feeling neutral about the market.

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ASP Hiring Statistics
38 - Avg. days to place
$176,000 - Avg. placed controller salary
33% - Percent of diversity hires
100% - Percent of time we get interviews for our clients

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Recent Placements
Sr. Accounting Manager – Construction – Bellevue
Project Accountant – Construction – Kirkland 
Accounting Manager – Manufacturing – Fife

View Our Current Openings

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