PRESS RELEASES

ZRG Partners Q4 2015 Industrial Hiring Index Shows 18% Decrease in Global Hiring Demand

ROCHELLE PARK, NJ, March 2, 2016 — ZRG Partners, a client-focused global executive search firm driven by data analytics, announced its Q4 2015 Global Industrial Hiring Index, with findings dedicated to the Industrial sector.

Overall results show Q4 2015 Industrial hiring was down significantly across all sectors globally versus previous quarter; year-over-year numbers close to flat. The 2015 year ending release posted an 18% decrease in global hiring demand quarter-over-quarter. Of the seven industrial segments the Global Industrial Hiring Index covers: Aerospace and Defense, Automotive, Chemicals, Diversified Manufacturing, Engineering Procurement Construction (EPC), Heavy Equipment and Oil and Gas, the numbers tell us that after four straight quarters of hiring growth, hiring has slipped back to lower levels not seen since late 2014. Q4 2015 numbers are very similar to Q4 2014, which may indicate some seasonality to the hiring numbers we track.

Nate Frank, Managing Director & Global Industrial Practice Leader of ZRG stated “The slide in the Q4 hiring index results reflects the continued caution we are seeing and hearing from our industrial clients – which we would attribute, at least in part, to a strong dollar, sluggish commodity prices, weakness in Asia and upcoming political and regulatory transition in Washington, D.C.”

From a Private Equity investment perspective in Q4 2015, Private Equity investment in the Industrial sector was the second lowest we have ever recorded (past eight quarters), with $8 billion invested. That follows a relatively weak 3Q 2015 as well (only $6.8 billion invested). For Q4, the Industrial sector saw 104 private equity deals completed with an average deal size of about $77 million. The Oil and Gas sector saw the largest amount of capital invested, as PE funds went bargain hunting.

Contact Us:
Rob Wolgemuth
Managing Director
rwolgemuth@zrgpartners.com