News / Strange times in logistics job market: more candidates than vacancies

A wave of job losses, following DSV’s acquisition of DB Schenker and cuts at Kuehne + Nagel and several other major freight forwarders, has created a rare situation in the logistics labour market: more experienced candidates than vacancies.

Headcount reductions at K+N, alongside layoffs at at least five other global and regional forwarders over the past year, as outlined by Loadstar Premium yesterday, have pushed senior and mid-level logistics professionals back into the jobs market, easing recruitment pressure for competitors.

One source at K+N suggested the timing had been ‘fortuitous’ for the Swiss company.

“They’re lucky that the market right now is on the opposite end of the spectrum, where there’s too many people looking for jobs,” the source said. “Because if it was on the other side, where the market was aggressively pursuing talent, they would be in serious trouble.”

That softer hiring environment is being felt at Morrison Express, according to CEO Asok Kumar, who says the availability of experienced candidates has increased following consolidation and restructuring across the sector.

“There are a lot of capable individuals in the market, and available,” he said.

But while the talent pool may be deeper, Mr Kumar cautioned that recruitment remained a complex process, particularly at executive level, and that hiring decisions could be driven by availability alone.

“Finding good people in a good or a bad market takes time and effort,” he said. “It’s not just about skill sets and knowledge.”

Mr Kumar stressed that ‘cultural fit’ was a critical factor as Morrison prepared for its next phase of growth. Bringing in people who align with the company’s values and working style was just as important as technical competence, he explained.

“You need to find people that not only have the right experience and capabilities for the job, but who are also a good cultural fit,” he said. “That’s very important to build a cohesive team.”

While warehouse labour and truck driver shortages remain acute in many geographies, Mr Kumar noted that management-level recruitment had become more fluid due to restructuring across the forwarding industry.

For Morrison, the current environment offers opportunity, but also risk. Hiring the wrong people simply because they are available could undermine the company’s longer-term ambitions, he believes.

As the freight market continues to recalibrate, with more cuts expected next year, Mr Kumar’s approach reflects a broader shift among forwarders: using the softer labour market to strengthen teams carefully, rather than expanding headcount aggressively.

And then there is the AI promise to ‘do more with less’.

With further restructuring expected across the sector, the balance of power in logistics recruitment may continue to favour employers – at least for now.