Job seekers looking to make a career move at the start of the year might want to rethink their strategy.

A study from career platform Enhancv reveals that January and February bring a brutal mix of fierce competition and sluggish hiring – despite misconceptions that January is peak application season.

Enhancv analyzed 25 years of federal hiring data alongside five years of resume activity, pairing the data with a survey of U.S. recruiters and hiring managers to confirm the trend.

Most job hunters flood the market in January and February – right when hiring hits rock bottom. Resume downloads in January run 11.6% above average, representing a 51% surge compared to December.

This is where the “apply in January” misconception comes from, as people juxtapose January’s data to December’s dormant season. In reality, hires peak much later in the year.

Job listings peak three times a year: April, July, and October. The best window for applicants spans from May through August, with June crowned as the best month to apply.

June hiring surges 16.3% above average while candidate competition drops 8%. While listings pop in April, a crush of applicants negates the benefit.

Meanwhile, December ranks as the slowest month for hiring, sitting 26.5% below average—making it better suited for polishing resumes than submitting them.

Overall job openings have trended downward since 2022 as employers trim budgets.

To filter out broad macroeconomic shifts, the study compared each month to surrounding months within the same year, separating seasonal swings from broader economic slowdowns.

Recruiters overwhelmingly named April (12.7%), May (13.6%), and June (12.1%) as prime hiring months. A secondary spike arrives ahead of the holidays, with 30.8% of recruiters citing a seasonal boost in the fall.

Patience is key for applicants. While job posts surge in April, offers follow a few weeks later – 36% of recruiters say it takes two to four weeks to go from posting to job offer.

That sets off a clear pattern: April’s posting boom fuels May and June hiring, while a July surge keeps the momentum high through August.

The odds shift wildly throughout the year. June, May, and October give job hunters the best shot, while February heavily favors employers with massive crowds of applicants, though they battle for few open seats.

June takes the crown as the ultimate month to apply. Hiring jumps 16.3% above average just as applicant competition cools by 8%, making it the undisputed heavy-hitter for job seekers.

AI doesn’t help the equation. In September, AI was responsible for nearly 4,000 job cuts according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas, which tracks monthly public job cut announcements.

AI has been cited in more than 120,000 job cut announcements, becoming the attributing factor for 21% of all layoffs in 2026.