Robert Walters Global Jobs Index: June 2025

17 June 2025

Global recruitment in a period of flux as organisations continue to adjust to economic and geopolitical uncertainty

• Global white-collar vacancies were up in May 2025 compared to April 2025, following a marked decline in April due to the effects of US tariff uncertainty.
• Technology, Media and Telecoms (TMT) the largest hiring industry, accounting for 34.81% of roles, growing slightly faster month-on-month than Financial Services.
   

Whilst professional job vacancies within the world's biggest 500 global companies increased month-on-month by +27.25% in May compared to the prior month, the rise represented a re-balancing of vacancy levels closer to those seen at the end of Q1, after April numbers and job market confidence were substantially impacted by the flurry of US tariff announcements.

Toby Fowlston, CEO at Robert Walters comments: “There is no doubt that we saw muted hiring in April primarily driven by wider macroeconomic factors, including the initial market response to recent U.S. tariff announcements. Whilst it’s encouraging to see an increase in job volumes, the reality is that many of these were vacancies likely put on hold in April, with May seeing a ‘catch-up’ once trade deal discussions began and market confidence steadied somewhat.”

Toby continues: “Over the last six months we have seen some sharp rises and falls in advertised jobs month-on-month, as organisations change hiring plans in response to volatile market conditions. Visibility is very limited, but we do see pockets of good recruitment activity in sectors such as tech, media, telecoms and financial services with the majority of these are focused on roles that will drive short term revenue or productivity gains.”

The findings come from the Robert Walters Global Jobs Index, published today - Tuesday 17 June 2025 – in partnership with Vacancysoft. It is the only index of its kind to track job flow for professional roles across the world’s 500 biggest businesses by looking at external job adverts posted online in real time.

Technology, Media and Telecoms (TMT) leads global hiring

Accounting for 34.81% of roles in May 2025, Technology, Media & Telecoms vacancies were up +26.79% month-on-month in May 2025 compared to April 2025, as businesses continued to prioritise digitalisation and AI adoption ahead of other functions.

The US (+21.05%) posted month-on-month increases in TMT in May 2025 compared to April 2025, with the month-on-month growth in TMT reflecting some investor and consumer confidence, likely driven by innovation in AI, cloud infrastructure and media streaming.

Toby comments: “In today’s increasingly competitive media and communications landscape, businesses that quickly adapt to shifting consumer demands are the ones gaining ground – and they need talented professionals to make that happen.”

“We’re seeing demand for tech, sales, and marketing professionals, as businesses look to protect their market position and seize new opportunities in a rapidly evolving global market.”

Financial Services remains resilient

Following an -8.5% decline in April vs March 2025, Financial Services hiring returned in May, up +25.72% compared to April 2025.

Growth was strongest in Mexico (+33.97%) and the US (+27.88%), driven by a renewed focus on strategic hiring.

Toby adds: “In the US, there is demand for legal, risk, and compliance professionals – areas that have consistently shown resilience throughout the year.

“Meanwhile in Mexico, the rise in hiring is largely driven by the ongoing expansion of shared services centres as financial institutions look to optimise operations and improve efficiency.”

In contrast, Germany (-7.74%) and the Netherlands (-23.81%) posted declining volumes of jobs. Germany’s continued downward trend, felt since the beginning of the year, reflects ongoing economic uncertainty and structural changes in financial services. However, there are signs that the market may be stabilising. Hiring activity remains steady in areas like fintech, compliance and digital transformation, where demand for specialised talent persists.

In the Netherlands, recent cost-control measures – including hiring freezes following increased investment in compliance functions – have impacted vacancy volumes.

“Overall, financial services hiring remains relatively resilient. Whilst areas like compliance, digital transformation and innovation remain clear drivers for growth, businesses are also navigating complex macroeconomic conditions. The need to stay competitive in a rapidly changing business and consumer landscape is keeping demand for specialist talent high – even as hiring strategies become more selective,” Toby concludes.

The Robert Walters Global Jobs Index – delivered in conjunction with Vacancysoft - was released on Tuesday 17 June 2025, with the next Index due for release on Tuesday 22 July 2025.  

The Index analyses job adverts posted on the websites of the largest organisations around the globe.

For Media Enquiries

Carmen Walker
PR Manager 
E: Carmen.walker@robertwalters.com 
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