Robert Walters Global Jobs Index: July 2025

22 July 2025

Global Hiring Demand Slows in June.

• Global white-collar vacancies fall by -15.6% month-on-month in June, reflecting a cautious hiring environment amid economic uncertainty
• France only country in the top 20 to record monthly growth in June (+21.1%) led by demand in the energy sector
• UK sees drop in June of -8.7%, with Financial and Professional Services showing resilience 
• US Technology, Media and Telecommunications sector up +7.4% month-on-month fuelled by ongoing AI infrastructure investments

Global hiring activity slowed in June, with vacancies declining by -15.6% compared to May. The drop reflects continued caution across many markets, as businesses remain focused on cost control and longer-term workforce planning.

Toby Fowlston, CEO at Robert Walters, comments, “Employers remain cautious and selective in their hiring decisions. While we saw slightly higher recruitment demand in Q2 compared to Q1 2025, June’s numbers underline that employers are nervous due to widespread macro-economic uncertainty. That said, there were still pockets of sector-specific growth across the quarter – particularly in tech and financial services.”

The findings come from Robert Walters Global Jobs Index, published today on Tuesday 22 July in partnership with Vacancysoft. It is the only index of its kind to track job flow for professional roles across the globe by looking at external job adverts posted online in real time.

France leads monthly growth

France posted the strongest performance across the top 20 countries in June, with total professional vacancies up by +21.1%. The growth was largely driven by an increase in demand in Energy & Utilities (+17.6%). 

Toby says, “We saw increased activity in France in June – a positive signal that companies are regaining confidence and moving ahead with growth plans where conditions allow.

In particular, there was an increased demand for skilled professionals across the renewable energy sector. Workers with expertise in energy efficiency and green technologies are among the most sought-after.

The UK recorded one of the more moderate declines across major markets, with vacancies down -8.7% month-on-month. While Financial Services (-4.9%) and Professional Services (-8.8%) showed the slowest rates of contraction compared to other sectors, factors like the continued impact of National Insurance Contributions for employers and the highest unemployment rate since Covid are contributing to more uncertain hiring conditions.

“In the UK, while overall vacancy numbers were down, there are signs that employers are taking a more measured approach rather than applying broad hiring freezes. In areas like financial and professional services, hiring levels have dipped less sharply, suggesting that demand for skilled professionals in these sectors remains more consistent, although we are seeing the impact of AI disrupting roles at the more junior level,” adds Toby.

US tech defies domestic slowdown

The US recorded a -12.7% fall in overall professional vacancies in June. However, the Technology, Media & Telecoms (TMT) sector saw a +7.4% increase – the only industry in the US to deliver month-on-month growth compared to May, reinforcing the ongoing demand for skills in artificial intelligence, cloud architecture and data infrastructure.

Toby added, “Despite a broader slowdown, the US tech sector continues to attract investment and talent. H2 2024 hiring activity was primarily shaped by political uncertainty ahead of the national election. In contrast, the first half of 2025 saw renewed confidence across the sector, with high-profile initiatives like OpenAI’s Stargate expected to accelerate AI infrastructure and create hundreds of thousands of jobs over the coming years.”

Energy & Utilities set for renewed focus

Although Energy & Utilities hiring declined in most markets in June, the sector is expected to gain momentum as the global demand for AI infrastructure and digital connectivity increases. 

Toby concludes, “As digital adoption accelerates, adjacent sectors like energy will play a more visible role in the talent landscape. Countries scaling up digital infrastructure will likely need to accelerate investment in energy production, grid resilience, and sustainability, which could translate into hiring growth in the second half of the year.

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