Most companies slow down in July, but top talent doesn’t stop thinking about their future. New Nordic data from LinkedIn, combined with Talentech’s own platform insights, confirms what we’ve long believed: Summer isn’t downtime, it’s decision time.
Across Denmark, Sweden and Norway, August is one of the biggest job change months of the year. But the career decisions candidates make then often begin during their quietest moments in July, while scrolling, reflecting and reimagining what’s next.
What the data shows
LinkedIn Nordic job-switcher data:
- Sweden: 4.0 times more job changes in August than in January
- Norway: 3.8 times more
- Denmark: 1.9 times more
Talentech ATS data from 2022–2024:
- July has the lowest number of job postings across the entire year
- This means less competition, lower CPC/CPM and higher visibility per ad
- In contrast, application activity surges in August and September
The human side of the numbers
Summer is a season of clarity. When routines pause, people reflect — not just on their vacation plans, but on their careers.
“Am I where I want to be?”
“Is this the right path for me?”
“What’s next?”
They return in August with answers, and the companies they apply to are often the ones who were visible while everyone else stayed quiet.
That’s why recruiting in July isn’t just strategic, it’s respectful. It meets people where they are, before the competition even wakes up.
Three reasons to publish job ads in summer, backed by data and behaviour
1) Less competition, more exposure for the same budget
With July seeing the lowest volume of postings all year, your job ad breaks through the noise. That means better visibility, better performance and better ROI.
2) Be visible while others are silent
Candidates scroll during vacation. Whether on a beach or a balcony, they engage — even passively. While competitors pull back, you can own the feed and the first impression.
3) Timing matters, and so do the people
August candidates are motivated. They're not browsing out of boredom, they’ve had time to reflect and are ready to act. You want to be top of mind when they do.
From reactive to strategic, how to recruit with purpose
Recruitment should follow real people’s rhythms, not corporate calendars. At Talentech, we recommend a two-phase summer strategy:
1st phase: July is the awareness phase
Even if you’re not hiring heavily, build presence. Be the voice they notice while others are silent.
2nd phase: August and September are the activation phase
Candidate activity peaks. This is when you drive conversion, if you’ve already captured attention.
And with Talent Recruiter, you can pre-schedule your campaigns, set them live in advance and stay visible — even while you’re offline.
This isn’t about more effort, it’s about better timing
When you recruit smart in summer, you reach candidates before your competitors, build stronger employer branding with less noise and convert when candidates are most ready to move.
That’s not just data-driven, it’s human-driven.
If you only recruit when it’s convenient for you, you’ll miss the moment that matters most to them. Let’s build a summer strategy that works — with data, with empathy and with timing that respects how people actually make decisions.
