Legal hiring increases for fifth straight month, new government data shows
Hiring in the legal sector increased for the fifth consecutive month in August but at a slower pace, according to seasonally adjusted data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released Friday. (Photo by Andriy Onufriyenko/Getty Images)
Hiring in the legal sector increased for the fifth consecutive month in August but at a slower pace, according to seasonally adjusted data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released Friday.
Last month, 1,245,900 people worked in lawyer, paralegal and other law-related professional roles, up from 1,245,300 in July and 1,244,400 in June, according to Law360, which reported on the revised government statistics.
While the numbers show increased growth in legal sector hiring, they also show a slowdown compared to July, when 1,000 jobs were added, and June, when 5,100 jobs were added, Law360 reports.
But Michelle Fivel, a co-founder of recruiting company Hatch Henderson Fivel, told Law360 that “things still feel very, very busy.”
“Generally what happens in the summer is that firms have other priorities,” Fivel added. “[They’re] dealing with partner vacations, summer associates leaving, and they’re preparing to welcome in first-year associates. So we do generally see a dip in August.”
Overall, the summer hiring boom could point to an even bigger recruiting season this fall, Fivel also said.
The number of legal jobs increased by 26,600 since this time last year, Law360 reports.
See also:
Increase in legal jobs driven by litigation, life sciences work
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