Are you there job market? It's me, Liv.

In 2022, I worked with Data Scientists at Capgemini. We were going on the up and up for hiring. When July 2022 hit, they started to slow the hiring needs down...and then as the months went on they halted hiring for the most part. I knew the job market was tanking before it really hit. Data Scientists can predict trends before they start using predictive modeling... So when they halted hiring, I knew something was up.

I've been unemployed before, but I usually find a recruiting role within 3 months (the exception was the pandemic which was 9 months) and I hit the ground running. I've been lucky to have a part-time, freelancing social media job with MicroSeismic, Inc. (give them a follow) and I've picked up recruiting contracts here and there. But nothing solid for 14 months.

It is painful. My life is on pause and has been for 14 months. I've had to adjust and take away a lot of things in my life and it has made me realize that I only need a few things to make me happy. I am lucky to have a great support system but it can only do so much.

I've been seeing a lot of people, on LinkedIn, that are getting hired for top-level recruiting management roles, which has me hoping that the market is turning. But, I don't believe it is.

Employers added 114,000 jobs in July and the unemployment rate spiked to 4.3 percent, reflecting a weaker-than-expected labor market that is stoking fears that interest rates have been too high for too long.

With the unemployment rate now at the highest rate since coming out of the pandemic downturn in 2021, economists, banking analysts and investors warned that recession signals are flashing.

Construction added 25,000 jobs in July, reflecting remarkable resilience, especially among specialty trade contractors. Transportation and warehouse added 14,000 jobs, after hitting a low in January — a recalibration after a massive expansion during the e-commerce boom of the earlier pandemic days. Most of July’s job gains were in delivery and storage.

There are other signs the labor market is softer: Employers are hiring at the slowest pace in a decade, excluding the pandemic shutdown; job openings have slowed considerably, though they remain higher than before the pandemic; and workers are not switching jobs as much.

Job growth in leisure and hospitality, which fueled the labor market boom as the pandemic began easing, has sputtered, adding 23,000 jobs in July. Restaurant owners have been grappling with the higher costs of labor and borrowing required to expand.

I've always said, that a good recruiter can recruit in any industry. My background mostly stems from tech, but I know I can recruit in any industry and be successful. You can teach the tech skills of recruiting, but teaching the soft skills of recruiting can pose more of a challenge.

And just to end on a shameless plug...

My ideal job would be a remote recruiting role, but a hybrid (2-3 days in the office in the Western Burbs of Chicago) would also be great. I want to grow within a company. Make change and impact happen and so much more.

I excel at connecting with people, understanding diverse needs, and delivering results. In tech, I hired 55 Data Science candidates (one of the hardest industries to recruit in!). Beyond tech, I placed 37 candidates at KPMG, all while managing a demanding workload of 17+ reqs.

I'm passionate about recruiting and changing lives. Beyond recruiting, I am skilled in project management, administrative work, email campaigns, and social media (running LinkedIn company pages, content writing, graphics, etc). I have won awards, at Capgemini, for my social media and recruiting work.

I know I can make an immediate impact on your team and can help grow the team. Thank you to everyone who has helped me. It has been a wild ride. Maybe I should write a book about my experiences.

Cheers,

Liv