Are job orders going up or down? And what does it take to fill them? Each month, Bullhorn tracks key indicators from our proprietary data to reveal changes in the global hiring landscape. Check in at the start of every month for the latest trends in permanent and temporary hiring.
Month ending March 31, 2026 Last updated April 7, 2026
Temporary recruitment volumes rise in March
Temporary job orders are up 5.4% compared to March of 2025, and up 9.1% from February when volumes dipped in line with typical seasonal trends. Hours usually bounce back in March, but this month’s improvement is on the high end of what is often seen, a promising signal. Fill rates stayed steady in March, but are 6.5% above 2025 values, continuing the upward pattern seen over the last two years. Recruiter effort in the temporary space increased slightly this month, but on average has remained steady for the last six months. All of this suggests an accelerating temporary staffing market. The impact of the war in the Middle East on this trend remains uncertain.
Permanent staffing shows a more mixed picture. Permanent jobs per recruiter are up 3.6% compared to 2025, but on average are down year over year over the course of the last six months. Permanent fill rates have also been increasing over the last two years, but at a slower rate than for temporary staffing and have stalled some in 2025. Recruiter effort went up a small amount this month but, as with temporary numbers, has on average been holding steady for the last six months. The signals here are also good, but improvement in permanent staffing is slower and less established, likely reflecting continued employer hiring confidence.
Temporary job orders at highest level since 2022
Temp job fill rates up 6% since the beginning of 2026
Recruiter effort is largely stable in March
Methodology
Hiring outlook metrics were calculated from Bullhorn ATS data for customers that have opted in to share aggregated data. Customers were qualified as professional or commercial if the majority of their placements were within these industries. Temporary/contingent placements are those with a set end date; permanent/direct hire placements are those without.
Jobs orders per recruiter is calculated as the volume of job order records created divided by the unique number of users within the calendar month.
Job fill rate is calculated as the proportion of job order records that were placed within 90 days of their open date. This is a trailing indicator that covers jobs created three calendar months prior to the period.
Submissions per job order is calculated as the volume of client submissions divided by the volume of job orders in the period. This metric represents records created in the previous calendar month.
