After a year of layoffs and a job market squeeze, prospective employees have high hopes for the month of September — at least, that's what TikTok says.
Human resources content creators have taken to social media — from TikTok to Instagram to X, formerly known as Twitter — with the hashtag #SeptemberSurge. The term refers to a predicted increase in hiring activity between Labor Day and Halloween, according to legal recruiter @MissEsqHire on X. In preparation, users are uploading resume tutorials, reminding one another to update their LinkedIn profiles and sharing tips on where to find new job postings.
Two factors drive the early-autumn hiring surge, according to a TikTok from Peninsula, a United Kingdom-based employment law and HR provider. College graduates are fresh out of school and looking to launch a career; they're equipped with the latest knowledge, and many companies will want to scoop them. Plus, the summer holidays can be a stressful time for employers as PTO requests increase. By hiring at the tail end of summer, they run a lower risk of hiring someone who will soon need time off.
It's also an ideal time to hire since hiring managers aren't on their own vacations, budgets for hiring are renewed and a new fiscal year is beginning, according to an X thread from @flynanced viewed more than 215,000 times.
Whether or not a September Surge will occur this year is still up for debate, but many prospective employees are banking on it. More than 100,000 users liked a TikTok from Chanelle Howell, a diversity recruiter at Goldman Sachs, and over 700 posted hopeful comments.
"Pay attention, because September Surge is happening," Ms. Howell said. "Be ready."