Why Professionals Are Flocking to Jobs Like Never Before—Is July’s 21% Surge Just the Beginning?

Ever wonder what a 9.2% jump in global professional job vacancies from June to July really means for the world’s workforce? At first glance, it might look like the job market is on a sizzling rebound—but hold up, it’s a bit more nuanced than that. This surge isn’t just a random spike; it’s spread across most of the top 10 countries, with sectors tightly linked to regulatory duties, infrastructure, and vital services leading the charge. Tax Advisory and Corporate Tax roles, for instance, have skyrocketed to new heights, pushing 2025 record levels, with corporate tax alone making up a whopping 39% of tax vacancies this year.

Ireland’s top 500 companies saw a staggering 21.4% vacancy rise month-on-month, powered by Technology, Media & Telecoms and Healthcare — sectors burdened by chronic skills shortages. And guess what? The hiring buzz through late spring into summer jumped 13% compared to earlier months, signaling a gradual fizzing up in activity. Yet, as Robert Walters CEO Toby Fowlston wisely points out, one hot month doesn’t spell a full-blown hiring boom just yet. Instead, businesses are laser-focused on snagging specialists in roles crucial to keeping operations and compliance on track — the harder-to-find skills that keep the wheels turning.

So, is this uptick a cautious hope or just a blip in a cautious market? The Robert Walters Global Jobs Index keeps an eagle eye on these trends, spanning industries from Financial Services to Energy, Healthcare to Tech—tracking real-time job postings by the world’s biggest players. With the US, UK, Germany, Poland, and Ireland all showing varying levels of vacuum-filling, it’s a fascinating mosaic of a labor market that’s slowly but surely shifting gears.

Curious to dive deeper into the stats and insights behind these trends? LEARN MORE

Global professional job vacancies saw a +9.2% month-on-month increase in July compared to June.

The increases were broad-based across the majority of the top 10 countries.

The drivers of the growth were concentrated in sectors where recruitment is more closely tied to regulatory obligations, infrastructure delivery or critical service provision.

Tax Advisory and Corporate Tax vacancies hit record 2025 levels, with corporate tax vacancies in July accounting for 39% of tax vacancies this year.

Ireland recorded a +21.4% month-on-month rise in vacancies amongst the top 500 companies globally in July.

Growth was led by Technology, Media & Telecoms (+14.8%) and Healthcare (+2.3%), both sectors where skills shortages continue to drive demand.

Vacancies in May–July were +13% higher than in February–April, highlighting a steady increase in activity through the summer months.

 “July’s data points to an uptick in hiring demand in areas where hiring delays can create operational or compliance risk, such as tax, financial services and healthcare,” said Toby Fowlston, CEO at Robert Walters. 

“While this is welcomed, one month’s increase in vacancies should not be interpreted as a full market rebound.

“Instead, it shows businesses are focusing their recruitment on specialist roles essential to ongoing operations and skills that are harder to source.”

The Robert Walters Global Jobs Index, tracks job flow for professional roles across the globe by looking at external job adverts posted online in real time.

It provides analysis and trend data for hiring rates across white-collar roles around the world.

The index encompasses the largest businesses globally, across all industries and countries, including: Financial Services / Tech, Media & Telecoms / Energy & Utilities / Healthcare / Consumer Good & Services / Basic Materials / Industrials / Professional Services / Real Estate & Construction.

US hiring rose +5.5% compared to June, led by Financial Services (+11.8%) and Healthcare (+6.2%).

While UK vacancies increased +7.2% in July vs June, driven by gains in Financial Services (+10.2%) and Energy & Utilities (+13.8%).

However, Germany (+34.3%), and Poland (+30.4%) were among the strongest performers.