From my desk to yours, welcome to the August edition of The Talent Pulse. This month I’m covering the latest
Washington state employment numbers, five hiring trends worth knowing whatever industry you’re in, in,and a quick insight
from my own desk on what I’m seeing in the market right now.
STATEWIDE MARKET SNAPSHOT – WASHINGTON STATE: Where Hiring Stands
Unemployment holds at 5.2% for a third straight month
Washington’s unemployment rate stayed flat at 5.2% in June, the third consecutive month at that level, and still a full point above the national rate of 4.2%. Compared to a year ago the rate is up from 4.5%, though state economists note that year over year employment has hovered close to flat for the past couple of years rather than moving sharply in either direction. job losses in the information sector, driven largely by software and tech layoffs, continue to be part of why Washington sits above the national average.
Government and service Jobs did the heavy lifting
Washington added 5,400 jobs statewide in June, but the growth was uneven. Government hiring accounted for 4,000 of those jobs, with additional gains in leisure and hospitality (up 3,200) and private education and health services (up 1,600). Private sector job growth outside of those service categories was much harder to find last month.
My own industry felt it too
Professional and business services lost 3,800 jobs statewide in June, and roughly 2,500 of those losses came specifically from employment services, the segment that includes staffing and recruiting. It is a reminder that even the people who help other people find jobs are not immune to a slower market, and it is part of why I think conversations like this one matter more than ever.
BEYOND THE NUMBERS: Five Hiring Trends Worth Knowing
What These Hiring Trends Mean for Employers
The hiring market is becoming more complex for both employers and candidates. Trust, transparency, speed, and human judgment are becoming increasingly important as technology changes how people apply, evaluate opportunities, and make hiring decisions.
Ghost Jobs Are Eroding Trust
Candidates are becoming more cautious about where they invest their time. Employers can help build trust by keeping postings current, removing roles that are no longer actively being filled, and communicating clearly about where a position stands in the hiring process.
AI Is Rewriting Resumes on Both Sides
AI is changing how candidates present themselves and how employers review applications. While these tools can improve efficiency, they also make experienced human judgment more important. Conversations, context, motivation, and long-term potential cannot always be captured by a resume or an automated screening tool.
Salary Transparency Is the New Baseline
Candidates increasingly expect compensation information before deciding whether an opportunity is worth pursuing. Clear, realistic salary ranges can help attract better-aligned applicants, reduce unnecessary conversations, and establish expectations earlier in the process.
Referrals Create Faster Access to Trusted Talent
More applications do not necessarily make hiring easier. Recruiters are often managing larger candidate pools with fewer resources, making a focused search strategy and clear hiring criteria increasingly important. The goal is not simply to review more candidates, but to identify and engage the right ones.
Slow Processes Cost Candidates
Strong candidates are unlikely to remain available indefinitely. Long gaps between interviews, unclear next steps, and delayed decisions can cause employers to lose qualified people to organizations that move faster. Establishing expectations, decision-makers, and timelines early helps keep the process efficient without sacrificing quality.
Building a Hiring Process for Today’s Market
The strongest hiring processes address these challenges together: credible opportunities, transparent expectations, thoughtful use of technology, focused recruiting resources, and timely communication. The tools may continue to change, but creating a process candidates can trust remains essential.
A NOTE FROM MY DESK
Here’s something I keep coming back to in conversations with clients this summer: the strongest candidates out there right now, in any industry, are usually not the ones actively job searching. They are quietly open, well regarded where they already are, and they will only move for the right opportunity presented in the right way. If a hiring process is still built around the assumption that great candidates are chasing you, that assumption is worth revisiting.
The market data above tells one part of the story, but the day to day reality is more nuanced. Even in a softer market, the best people still have options, and a slow or impersonal process still costs you the hire. That has not changed no matter how the headline numbers move.
If any of this sounds familiar, whether it is a role that has been open longer than it should be, a search that has stalled, or you just want a second opinion on how to compete for the people you actually want, that is exactly where I can help. I would love to be a resource for you, no pressure and no pitch, just a real conversation about what is happening in your corner of the market.
Always happy to talk shop. Alissa
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