Hiring across the world hit a four-year low in October 2025 as employers remained cautious in making big moves in the workplace, according to the latest insights from BambooHR.
Global hiring dropped to 1.9% in October 2025, down 12% from September 2025 and 17% from the same period last year. This is also the lowest global hiring rate since February 2021.
Turnover also went down 15% from September 2025 and 16% from a year ago, according to the insights, which were sourced from over 5.01 million employee data points globally.
Despite these drops, job openings increased 2.8% in October 2025, and went up 11% from October 2024.
“Companies appear poised for growth, but both employers and employees are still hesitant to make big moves in the wake of an eggshell economy,” the report read.
The ‘Eggshell Economy’
The eggshell economy refers to the shift in workplace behaviour in the wake of uncertainty, according to a previous BambooHR report.
“2025 marks the year of the ‘Eggshell Economy,'” it previously noted.
“As economic uncertainty looms large — much like the fluctuating prices of eggs and other everyday essentials — employees find themselves walking on eggshells in the workplace as they navigate a professional environment that feels increasingly fragile.”
It found that more than half of employees are choosing to stay in their current workplace, satisfied with their work-life balance. However, they are more cautious about making jokes at work and social media usage due to the current political climate.
Tara Martell, chief customer officer at BambooHR, previously warned that low turnover rates in organisations may just be because of a lack of opportunity elsewhere.
“The job market has been wonky at best. Very few open roles are out there relative to the available workforce, so competition is fierce,” Martell said.
“Many candidates also complain about exhaustive interview processes or poor communication with recruiters. Low turnover could just be a function of a lack of opportunity.”
Drop in turnover trend
Globally, turnover was down across all regions month-over-month with Middle East/Africa leading with 23%, according to BambooHR’s latest insights.
In the United States, turnover was down 16% month-over-month in October. It recorded a similar decrease in turnover annually.
All industries globally also logged a drop in hiring and turnover monthly, with education seeing the biggest turnover drop of 30%. Other industries recorded the following turnover drops:
- Construction (-18%)
- Healthcare (-15%)
- Finance (-10%)
- Non-profit (-23%)
- Technology (-15%)
The findings, coupled with Martell’s warning, are a stronger indication of the job hugging trend in workplaces, where employees are choosing to stay put amid pessimism in the job market.
Matt Bohn, senior client partner at Korn Ferry, previously warned that while job hugging is good for retention, it also risks blocking up-and-coming employees and skill stagnation.
“Firms run the risk of becoming comfortable perches from which workers can jump when the time’s right,” Bohn previously warned. “That’s the danger of this job market.”
Source – https://www.hcamag.com/nz/news/general/global-hiring-drops-to-four-year-low/557738