December's Job Numbers Look Good. Here's Why That's Misleading.
Remote Work Secrets - Edition #15
What's Inside:
The December Data Mirage: Why last month's hiring numbers are seasonal noise, not a recovery signal.
Welcome to The Great Freeze: You're not losing to better candidates - you're losing to corporate inertia.
Why Your Playbook Is Broken: Traditional job search tactics were built for a market that no longer exists.
This Weeks Remote Roles: Fully vetted remote roles for Senior Professionals.
Good news (or is it?!)
December layoff announcements hit their lowest level in 18 months.
Companies announced 10,500 new roles. LinkedIn is full of cautiously optimistic hot takes from economists, recruiters, and HR leaders telling you to “stay positive” and “keep an abundance mindset.”
However.
December always looks good on paper.
Budget resets. Deferred restructuring decisions. Hiring freezes that make the numbers look better than they are. It’s the same seasonal distortion we see every January, right before the market reality reasserts itself in February and March.
It’s a statistical quiet, not a recovery signal.