Key takeaways: 

• Job postings rose 5% and applications 7% year-over-year, but hiring dropped 10%.
• Gen Z’s share of applicants is shrinking (40% vs. 44% last year) while millennials re-emerge (23%), bringing different expectations.
• Employers increasingly use AI for screening and matching, but candidates remain skeptical about its fairness, especially older generations.

Hiring fell 10% this July compared to last year, even as companies posted 5% more job openings and candidates submitted 7% more applications, according to the latest iCIMS Workforce Report. For staffing agencies, this means longer sales cycles, frustrated clients sitting on unfilled requisitions, and candidates growing impatient with drawn-out processes.

And with 33 applicants competing for every opening (up from 28 last year), candidates face longer waits while companies become increasingly selective. Time-to-fill metrics have plateaued at 41 days, suggesting that despite having more options, employers aren’t moving faster on hiring decisions……….