ClearanceJobs Bookings and Revenue Inflection
ClearanceJobs (CJ) bookings returned to positive year-over-year growth in Q4 (+3% YoY). CJ revenue was $13.9M, up 1% YoY and flat sequentially, indicating an inflection after prior quarter declines.
Higher Average Revenue per CJ Customer and Strong CJ Retention
Average annual revenue per CJ recruitment package customer rose to $27,246, up 8% YoY and 2% sequentially. CJ revenue renewal rate was 90% and reported retention was 109%, reflecting expansion within existing customers.
Agile ATS Acquisition Integration and Early Revenue Wins
Agile ATS was integrated into ClearanceJobs and its revenue doubled in less than six months, demonstrating successful M&A execution and expansion of CJ's product offering.
Company-Level Profitability and Margin Improvement
Adjusted EBITDA for the quarter was $9.4M, a 30% margin versus $9.2M and a 26% margin a year ago, showing improved profitability despite revenue headwinds.
Strong Free Cash Flow and Operating Cash Flow Improvement
Operating cash flow was $7.2M (Q4) vs $4.4M prior year. Free cash flow was $5.7M in Q4 vs $1.6M prior year; full-year free cash flow was $13.8M vs $7.1M, indicating materially improved cash generation.
Expense Reductions and Efficiency Gains
Operating expenses decreased $5.3M to $27.7M YoY; excluding a $1.4M impairment, OpEx declined $6.7M (20%). Management says annual operating expenses and capitalized development costs were reduced by approximately $35M over the past period.
Product Innovation and Monetization Tests
CJ piloted a premium candidate subscription (small test pool), achieving a ~1.5% take rate in early rollout. Management identified an effective price point (~$12.99) and plans phased rollout to the broader candidate base in 2026.
Strategic Capital Allocation and Share Repurchases
The company repurchased 2.9M shares for $5.2M in the quarter and 5.5M shares ($11.4M) for the year; board authorized a new $10M buyback program, signaling confidence and returning capital to shareholders.
Dice Positioning Around AI Skills
Dice shows strong momentum in AI-related hiring: 55% of Dice job postings required AI-related skills at year-end 2025 (up from 28% a year earlier). Dice's AI skills taxonomy covers 360+ distinct AI skills, positioning the brand for AI talent demand.