Nearly two-thirds of people who switch jobs aren’t just changing employers — they’re changing careers completely.
According to new data from Indeed’s analysis of 35 million profiles, roughly 2.6% of the platform’s users switch jobs per month — and 64% of these transition to an entirely new occupational category. For staffing leaders, this isn’t just interesting data. It’s a roadmap to faster fills, higher margins, and untapped talent pools your competitors could be ignoring.
Open circuits vs. closed circuits
While some industries are “closed circuits,” fields that people rarely leave, others are “open circuits” with massive talent outflow. Understanding this divide is like having insider trading information for staffing.
Nursing represents the ultimate closed circuit — 66% of those who moved into a nursing job were already working in nursing before. Software development, accounting, and dental work similarly retain most of their talent when people change jobs. These are retention battles with high barriers to entry, specialized skills, and strong pay progression. If you’re placing in these verticals, focus on poaching talent from competitors, not career switchers.
On the flip side, hospitality and tourism workers represent the ultimate open circuit — 88% of people who entered the industry were from a different field entirely. There’s also a high percentage of career switchers in retail (74%) and loading and stocking (69%). These are your talent feeding grounds. Workers in these fields are actively seeking career changes, not just job changes. They’re motivated, available, and often overlooked by traditional recruiting approaches.
Help candidates take the leap
Workers in lower-paying occupations are more likely to rethink their careers, seeking a new trajectory rather than just a different job. Retail, loading and stocking, and food preparation all show monthly job switching rates above 3%. These aren’t just high-turnover fields — they’re launch pads for career changers seeking better opportunities.
This creates a massive opportunity for staffing firms willing to position themselves as career transformation partners, rather than limiting themselves to just job placement services. While your competitors chase the same specialized talent pools, you can tap into motivated workers ready for their next chapter.
Find bigger wins in faster fills
Let’s run the numbers on two common scenarios. The traditional nursing placement might net you $8,000 but takes 45 days to fill, with high competition from other agencies chasing the same closed talent pool. Meanwhile, transitioning a hospitality worker into an office admin role might only generate $3,500, but fills in 12 days with minimal competition.
The math works in your favor: three hospitality transitions ($10,500) in the time of one nursing placement ($8,000) equals 31% higher monthly production per recruiter. Even at lower individual fees, the velocity advantage of open circuit placements drives higher overall revenue.
The data also reveals predictable career transition points. Childcare workers typically switch after 4.5 years, hospitality workers around 5 years, and retail workers at 6 years. Accounting professionals, by contrast, stay put for about 10 years. This timeline intelligence lets you build pipelines by targeting workers approaching these natural transition windows.
See open circuit recruiting in action
Here’s a 90-day test run that will help determine if it’s time to shift your focus to open circuit recruiting.
Week 1-2: Audit your current mix
- Calculate what percentage of your placements come from “open circuit” vs “closed circuit” industries.
- Identify your top three client needs that could be filled by career switchers.
- Map which of your current candidates are in high-exit occupations.
Week 3-6: Pilot the open circuit strategy
- Target one high-exit occupation (hospitality, retail, childcare) for one client need.
- Develop messaging focused on “career growth” rather than “job change.”
- Track time-to-fill and conversion rates vs. traditional sourcing.
Week 7-12: Scale and optimize
- Expand successful open circuit strategies to additional roles.
- Train your team on career transition interviewing techniques.
- Build partnerships with training organizations to support skill transitions.
Open circuit recruiting taps into motivated workers who are ready for something different and just need the right door opened. It’s about adding a new tool to your toolkit, one designed for speed, scale, and long-term candidate potential.
You don’t have to overhaul your business to start seeing the benefits. A single pilot can show what’s possible. Over time, a more balanced placement mix can create more consistent fills, stronger candidate relationships, and better outcomes for everyone.
Career transitions aren’t fringe cases anymore — they’re a mainstream trend. And with the right approach, they can become a reliable source of fast, high-quality placements.
