Is there a perfect time to look for a new job?

1st quarter of the new budget year. Headcount approved in the budget. A savvy manager knows this and adds required bodies ASAP in case business cases don’t pan out and cuts take place as the year progresses. Downside to this is you may have to reduce your work force for the same reason.

I think this is probably still accurate, unfortunately, most lay offs still happen during that time!