Recruiting Industry Sees Seven Percent Rise in New Searches Started

May 28, 2013 – The first quarter of 2013 saw a seven percent quarter-on-quarter rise in the number of new executive searches started and a two percent increase in worldwide search industry revenues, according to a report released by the Association of Executive Search Consultants (AESC). North America held the greatest share of regional executive search activity in the first quarter this year with 48.8 percent of the global market and was the only major region to see its number of new search mandates rise year-on-year, from Q1 2012 to Q1 2013. The EMEA region saw a four percent increase in new searches started in Q1 2013, but a 14.1 percent year-on-year decline (from Q1 2012 to Q1 2013). Asia Pacific and Central/South America recorded a similar trend of quarterly increase – from Q4 2012 to Q1 2013 – yet yearly decline in the number of new searches started. “Compared with the last quarter of 2012 these industry statistics are more encouraging and suggest a stabilization of demand for executive search services and a slight up-tick in overall revenues worldwide,” said Peter Felix, AESC president. “However, they also display clear confirmation of worldwide economic trends that we have seen developing over the past 12-18 months.”