Today’s guest blogger is Patrick Long, founder and managing partner of Provision People based in San Diego, CA. Provision People works in a variety of industries, namely: financial services, accounting, manufacturing, sales, technology, agriculture, defense, and a few other verticals too. Patrick is also an NPAworldwide Board Director with responsibility for the Western North America region. Read below for some thoughts on the current labor market.
Lately, the labor market feels…familiar. Slower hiring, stubborn wages, and a few too many mixed signals. Some economists are even whispering the word “stagflation.”
But before anyone panics, Andrew Flowers, Chief Economist at Appcast, offers perspective:
“Mild stagflation does not mean a dire recession.”
In other words, things are odd—but not disastrous.
Cooling, But Not Loosening
Recruiting has cooled down, but talent is still tough to find. Wages haven’t budged much either. Flowers calls it a divide between “standing up” and “sitting down” jobs—frontline roles vs. office roles—with the first group still in high demand.
Add in policy uncertainty—from immigration and tariffs to the Fed—and it’s no wonder recruiters are getting mixed signals.
Collaboration Over Chaos
That’s why networks like NPAworldwide matter more than ever. With more than 500 member firms globally, we’re sharing insights, swapping candidates, and helping each other navigate this strange “not-hot-but-not-cold” market together.
Because when the economy gets unpredictable, collaboration becomes your competitive edge.
It might feel like we’re getting a little 1970s labor market déjà vu—but this round comes with smarter tools, steadier trends, and zero polyester in sight.