Is September a good time to job hunt?

A woman sits at a laptop and writes in a notepad. She is concentrating.
As Brat summer fades into the far, far distance, and autumn leaves begin to fall, a back-to-school mentality begins to pervade the workplace.

September feels like a fresh start of sorts, a professional new year without the gloominess of short days, and punitive ‘new-year, new-me’ regimes.

Many companies have an uptick in hiring and onboarding activity in the latter half of the year, as unmet year-end goals and objectives remain in sight.

Additionally, early-year hires who didn’t pass probation are now seeing their former jobs advertised again.

However, statistically September wasn’t a bumper month for job openings last year. In fact, after the turbulence in the job market from 2020-2022, things actually began to stablise last year.

More employees are staying put: Brits are in their big stay era, while in America, workers have started shunning the idea of the Great Resignation. This means there is far less movement in the jobs market.

In fact, recent U.S. research, conducted by WTW, found that 72% of employees plan on staying in their current roles, compared to 2022 when 53% of employees planned on leaving their jobs.

According to ZipRecruiter’s Economic Research department, job openings, quits, and layoffs and discharges all remained roughly the same in September as in August last year: “The labour market remained resilient, stable, and uneventful.”

That said, over half (57%) of hiring managers say they are recruiting for new positions right now, according to the latest Demand for Skilled Talent report. And from an employee POV, there’s a number of reasons why September is a good time to job hunt.

Reduced competition

Job seekers benefit from less competition during the autumn months.

Many candidates, particularly recent college graduates, tend to focus their job search efforts in the spring and early summer, hoping to have roles lined up before the academic year ends.

As a result, the pool of active job seekers often thins out by the time September rolls around, and this is particularly pertinent for early-career job seekers.

Work-life balance

If you’re the type to take long holidays or PTO in summer, then it’s better to join a company after your travels are done. Even if you’re entitled to the leave, it never looks great starting a job and immediately requesting extensive time off.

Time efficiency

During the summer months, it’s common for both hiring managers and candidates to be out of the office, which can slow down the recruitment process.

But by September, most people have returned from their time off, making it easier to schedule interviews, follow up on applications, and really get the ball rolling on the hiring process.

End-of-year spending

With the end of the fiscal year rapidly approaching, companies may be eager to spend any remaining budget allocation before it expires.

This can create a sense of urgency to fill open positions quickly, potentially leading to expedited hiring timelines, and more favourable compensation packages.

Though equally, it could mean the pot is running low.

Networking opportunities

As silly season closes, professional networking events, industry conferences, and other career-building activities tend to pick up.

This can provide job seekers with valuable facetime to connect with potential employers, learn about new opportunities, and cultivate relationships that may assist in the job search process.

Looking for more job seeking advice? Check out our careers Cheat Sheet series:

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