August is naturally considered a relatively slow month in the job market, with vacations for employees, candidates, and hiring managers. However, data from the past month points to an interesting phenomenon: While fewer résumés entered the system and fewer new jobs opened, more candidates managed to advance in recruitment processes and reach the finish line.
The Jobnet Index, in collaboration with Civi AI, points to a drop of about 6% in the volume of résumés received during August compared to July. The slowdown is also evident on the employers' side. The number of new positions opened in August fell by about 13% compared to July, while at the same time, a 5% increase was recorded in the number of positions closed or frozen.
The routine activity of recruitment teams also moderated: Fewer candidates passed initial screening, and fewer candidates were transferred to specific jobs. An examination of the data throughout the month shows that for most of August, activity remained relatively stable, with a more pronounced moderation recorded only in the final full week. In other words, at least according to index data, the job market did not come to a halt, but the volume of new activity entering the system contracted.
Focus on existing candidates
On the other hand, more candidates reached the finish line. The picture that emerges is one of a month in which organizations invested fewer resources in opening new recruitment processes, focusing instead on jobs and candidates that were already within the system.
This is precisely where the most striking figure for August comes in: Despite the drop in the number of new résumés, the volume of candidates who advanced to an active recruitment process actually rose by about 21%. At the same time, the number of candidates accepted for employment rose by about 14%.
In other words, fewer new candidates came through the door, but more of the people who were already in the process managed to move forward in it.
The market continues to move. The index is based on thousands of jobs published on the Jobnet website from the Walla Group by companies and organizations across various sectors of the economy, alongside data from the Civi AI system, where tens of thousands of recruitment processes are managed each month. The index is expected to be published once a month to present an up-to-date snapshot of the employment and recruitment market in Israel.
Market dynamics and expert insights
According to Gilad Ayalon, CEO of Jobnet: "August may look from the outside like a month in which the job market downshifts, but the data shows that actual hires continue to move forward even when the volume of new activity declines. For job seekers, this is a reminder that even during quieter periods, interviews continue to take place, decisions are made, and opportunities open up. For employers, the challenge is not just to generate more inquiries, but to create a better fit between the job and the candidate and lead the process efficiently through to hiring."
Shai Bechor, CEO of Civi AI, added: "One of the prominent things in August is the gap between the decrease in the quantity of new résumés and the increase in the number of candidates who reached advanced stages and were accepted for employment. This illustrates the value that lies in the talent pool already held by the organization. In a period when fewer new inquiries come in, recruitment teams can return to candidates who have already passed screening, expressed interest, or participated in a process in the past, and discover that the right candidate is already in their system."