exactly, in my experience, HR departments (at least recruiters) are among the first to be fired when things turn down - who needs to pay recruiters if you aren'

exactly, in my experience, HR departments (at least recruiters) are among the first to be fired when things turn down - who needs to pay recruiters if you aren't hiring? - much better if you are worried about your own job to keep busy, and advertise and interview people for non-existent jobs then to sit on your hands all day with nothing to do. Hopefully the 'keeping busy' will save your job, if your manager needs to pick from a few dozen recruiters which ones to toss and which to keep.