Hiring Continues to Decline in July as Graduates Face Tougher Job Market

LinkedIn’s August 2024 Workforce Report shows summer hiring continued to slowdown from June to July, as recent college graduates continue to face challenges in finding good jobs. 

The data reveals national hiring experienced a decrease of 0.8% from June to July and a 7.9% drop compared to July 2023.  

As the rate of hiring slows, employers are also becoming more selective when they do publish a new job opening online. The increased competition for roles is impacting young college educated job seekers hoping to land a job in the field that they studied for. Now, the steady hiring pace recorded earlier in the year, up to May, has taken a reversal and is at slightly below January 2024 levels by 1.3%.  

There were, however, mixed results across specific industries. LinkedIn’s data found that some sectors rebounded from June’s declines. For example, Administrative and Support Services saw a 4.6% increase in hiring from June to July, followed by Accommodation and Food Services at 3.3% and Consumer Services at 3.0%. On the flip side, sectors like Farming, Ranching, and Forestry (-4.2%), Education (-3.9%), and Professional Services (-3.8%) experienced notable drops in hiring.  

The Technology, Information, and Media industry shows some encouraging signs, having stabilized with a 7.2% increase in hiring from July 2023 to July 2024. This stabilization is notable for a sector that has seen considerable volatility in recent years. In 2023, the tech industry experienced waves of layoffs, with the total number of workers losing their jobs amounting to over 260,000, according to Layoffs.fyi.     

There were also no substantial gains across the 20 major metro areas measured for the second month in a row. LinkedIn reports that the Dallas-Ft. Worth metro area experienced a 0.1% uptick from June to July, but the rest of the top 20 U.S. metro areas experienced varying levels declines.  

The only metro area that is up year-over-year is Atlanta, with a 1.1% increase in hiring. The largest monthly hiring declines were observed in the San Francisco Bay Area (-4.5%), Cleveland (-5.1%), and Houston (-8.4%). 

The trends highlight the growing challenges for both employers and job seekers — particularly in an environment where economic uncertainty is driving regional disparities in the job market.  

Recent college graduates continue to face challenges in finding meaningful jobs in their chosen fields, as companies become more cautious and selective in hiring. Adapting to the future of work and the new labor market conditions requires flexibility, whether that means job seekers exploring opportunities in recovering sectors, employers embracing flexible work options, or considering relocation to regions with stronger job prospects.