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FAR and DFARS › FAR Part 31: Contract Cost Principles and Procedures › Subpart 31.2

FAR 31.205-34 Recruitment costs.

The codified text (eCFR, as of 2026-10-02). Under the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul ↗, agencies follow class deviations with new text for many parts while the formal rules go through the Federal Register: check the solicitation and your contract's clauses, which rule.

In plain English

This section says that most recruitment costs are allowable, including help-wanted advertising, employment office operations, testing programs, recruiting travel, applicant interview travel, and employment agency fees at standard commercial rates. However, help-wanted advertising becomes unallowable if it does not describe specific positions or classes of positions, or if it includes material not relevant to recruitment, such as extensive product illustrations or company capability descriptions.

Applies to: Contractors claiming recruitment costs as allowable under cost-reimbursement contracts

What it requires

  • Ensure help-wanted advertising describes specific positions or classes of positions
  • Ensure help-wanted advertising does not include material not relevant for recruitment purposes
  • Limit employment agency costs to standard commercial rates

Key terms: help-wanted advertising · employment office · aptitude and educational testing program · employment agencies · standard commercial rates

Written by AI from this section's text. A guide, not legal advice: the text below rules.

The text

(a) Subject to paragraph (b) of this subsection, the following costs are allowable:

(1) Costs of help-wanted advertising.

(2) Costs of operating an employment office needed to secure and maintain an adequate labor force.

(3) Costs of operating an aptitude and educational testing program.

(4) Travel costs of employees engaged in recuiting personnel.

(5) Travel costs of applicants for interviews.

(6) Costs for employment agencies, not in excess of standard commercial rates.

(b) Help-wanted advertising costs are unallowable if the advertising—

(1) Does not describe specific positions or classes of positions; or

(2) Includes material that is not relevant for recruitment purposes, such as extensive illustrations or descriptions of the company's products or capabilities.

Sections that refer to it

  • 31.205-1 Public relations and advertising costs.

← 31.205-33 Professional and consultant service costs. · 31.205-35 Relocation costs. →

Rule changes for FAR Part 31

Source: eCFR, 48 CFR chapters 1 and 2 (GPO GovInfo bulk data) ↗. Plain words for the terms: glossary.

FAR 31.205-34 Recruitment costs · SpendQuery