Most positions for HR specialists in Germany are not publicly advertised by Volkswagen, Deutsche Telekom or another DAX group, but by personnel service providers such as temporary employment agencies, personnel consultancies and placement agencies. Between January and March of this year, almost every second HR position was published by them. But the decline in jobs is also evident among external recruiting professionals: In the first quarter of 2026, personnel service providers – which dominate the HR job market as external advertisers – placed almost a quarter fewer HR advertisements than in the first three months of last year – 7,479 jobs that were lost to the market within 12 months.
At the same time, schools, universities and educational institutions were looking for more HR specialists than ever before: 4,694 positions, an increase of 68 percent compared to the same period last year. An evaluation by Index Research for the human resources industry, based on what Index Research describes as Europe’s largest job advertisements database, shows why the HR job market is currently moving – and in which direction.
