Credit Hiring in 2025: What to Expect
With 2025 around the corner, fixed income markets are set to play a key role in shaping hiring across both IG and HY Credit. Tightening spreads, attractive yields, and central bank policy easing are driving decision-making in hiring priorities.
Fixed Income Market Snapshot: • Investment-Grade Credit - Spreads are at or near historic lows, with returns now driven by income & duration rather than further spread compression. There is a clear move toward higher-quality borrowers, and waning demand for subordinated securities and cyclical issuers. This highlights the need for talent with expertise across multiple sectors to manage rate volatility effectively.
• High-Yield Credit - HY remains strong, particularly in the US, with defaults dropping and sectors like Energy and AI-related infrastructure showing promise, while Retail remains more uncertain. We expect demand for analysts and PMs who can identify opportunities in sectors with greater complexity.
What This Means for Hiring
Across our client base, we expect hiring in Credit and broader Fixed Income becoming increasingly selective, with our clients prioritizing experienced PMs & Research talent who ideally have seen multiple credit cycles, can perform under tighter spreads, and have awareness of geopolitical and economic trends (such as the anticipated rise in US trade tariffs).
To some extent, we expect cost pressures to affect hiring strategies. While many of our clients are expanding teams to seize new opportunities, several larger players are consolidating roles—particularly in areas deemed non-core.
Looking Ahead
In the coming year, success in Fixed Income will more than ever depend on securing the right talent to strengthen teams and deliver results in a highly competitive environment.
If you are considering expanding your Credit/Fixed Income team in 2025, aligning your hiring plans with market realities to secure A-player talent will be instrumental in staying ahead of the competition.
At Laz Partners, we work with top talent in the UK and globally. We enable our clients to leverage our key insights on compensation trends, relevant industry movements, as well as senior-level hiring strategies when building out world-class teams for them.
Feel free to send me a DM or email at [email protected] to discuss how we can add value for you—and your team—in 2025.
