Hiring costs climbed last year even as job-seeker volumes increased and labour market activity slowed, according to new data from recruitment marketing firm Appcast.
The company released its 10th Annual Recruitment Marketing Benchmark Report on Feb. 17, drawing on more than 302 million clicks, 27 million applications and data from nearly 1,200 employers. The 2026 edition is the first in the report’s history to include full-funnel candidate disposition data and international hiring benchmarks.
Rising costs despite more applicants
Cost-per-application and cost-per-hire both rose sharply in 2025, according to Appcast, driven by shifts in job board pricing and programmatic media models. The increases came even as candidate apply rates remained high, fueled by greater job-seeker volume and more efficient recruitment marketing strategies.
The report describes the current environment as “low–hire, low–fire,” with employers facing a market that is neither contracting sharply nor adding jobs at pace.
White-collar roles see growing competition
A divide between office and frontline roles deepened in 2025. Apply rates for white-collar positions rose significantly, while frontline roles — particularly in healthcare — remained costly and difficult to fill, the report found.
Remote and hybrid jobs, which had outperformed in-person roles in previous years, saw their candidate attraction advantage narrow. Shifting job-seeker expectations have made remote work less of a differentiator in recruitment, according to the report.
Geography playing a bigger role
Where employers are hiring matters more than it used to, the data suggests. Fast-growing Sun Belt states in the U.S. delivered stronger apply rates and lower costs-per-application, while older and more rural states continued to generate the highest recruitment advertising costs.
New funnel and global data
For the first time, the report maps the full candidate journey from click to apply, screen, interview, offer and hire. Appcast says this disposition data gives talent teams a clearer view of recruitment efficiency and quality of hire.
The report also includes benchmarks from select international markets, allowing employers to compare recruitment costs and hiring performance across regions.
“For 10 years, this report has helped recruitment teams understand not just what’s happening in the labour market — but why,” said Matt Molinari, CEO of Appcast. “With the addition of disposition data and international benchmarks, the 2026 edition gives TA leaders the most complete picture yet of how their recruitment marketing investments translate into real hiring outcomes.”
Appcast is headquartered in Lebanon, N.H., with offices across North America and Europe. It is a subsidiary of The Stepstone Group.
