Industrial job postings decreased across almost all subsectors in the seasonally weak fourth quarter compared to the third quarter, according to the Q4 2016 Global Industrial Hiring Index released today by executive search firm ZRG Partners. Aerospace and defense was the exception, with job postings flat compared to the third quarter.

Automotive and heavy equipment subsectors were both weak with quarter-over-quarter drops of 39% and 26%, respectively.

The index posted a 17% decrease in the number of job postings globally in Q4 versus the previous quarter. However, the Q4 index increased 5% increase year over year, and the index rose 15% for the full-year 2016 compared to 2015.

“The Q4 Index reflects quantitatively the unease and uncertainty created by a very contentious US election season,” said Nate Frank, ZRG’s managing director, industrial practice. “It drove the Q4 numbers down from what had been a strong 2016 throughout. However, we are encouraged that this was still the index’s strongest Q4 in the last few years.”

The Global Industrial Hiring Index analysis utilizes a proprietary algorithm that looks at hiring within selected benchmark companies in seven distinct segments. ZRG Partners uses data from the CEB TalentNeuron tool and Pitchbook to assemble the sector data that drives the index.