February, 2012 -- After a sizable drop in third quarter hiring, the ZRG Partners Global Life Sciences Hiring Index returned to growth, ending the year at a 76.11 mark. The year was a stable growth year in overall hiring with an average increase of 14% year over year.
The Outsourcing and Services sector was the clear story in the quarter, with a 39% increase in new jobs over Q3. The sector does show much more quarterly volatility than other sectors with faster jumps and decreases. Regionally, the America’s posted a 12.42% increase in new roles and ended the year with a historically high level of job opportunities across all of the sectors. Specialty functional areas were not the story this quarter as talent in information technology, finance, general and executive led the charge in positive demand for new talent.
Manufacturing jobs dropped once again by another 38% this quarter. This coming on the heels of Q3’s 34% decrease. The index indicated strong hiring in manufacturing during Q1 and Q2 followed this dramatic and quick reduction. This could indicate all roles were filled in the beginning of the year and no further headcount was needed and/or general slowdowns in new manufacturing demand. It also could be the result of greater production efficiencies being realized. Sales and Marketing roles also show a 16.5% drop this quarter. Regionally, the APAC region slowed, showing the lowest level of hiring during Q4 since over a year ago. Finally, Medical Device and Supply hiring was down 20% for the quarter, but more telling, the sector is at the lowest level in the seven quarter history of the index. This could reflect the continued regulatory uncertainty and weakened investment climate for the sector.
About ZRG Partners
ZRG Partners, Inc. is a global authority on talent management issues in the Life Sciences, Pharmaceutical and Medical markets. ZRG provides its clients with specialized global market expertise in executive recruitment, consulting and advisory work with a focus on data and analytics to drive great business decisions.
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