Global hiring plans are gaining momentum heading into the final quarter of 2026, according to ManpowerGroup’s latest Employment Outlook Survey of employers at 40,000 organizations across 42 countries.
The survey’s global Net Employment Outlook reached 29%, up 2 percentage points from the previous quarter and 6 points from a year earlier.
Behind the hiring plans is a shift in the work companies need people to do. Among employers expecting to add staff, 62% cited changing roles and skill requirements as key drivers. They’re expanding into new areas, seeking expertise to keep pace with technology and adapting to the changing demands of their services.
Hiring intentions were strongest among companies with 250 to 1,000 employees.
“This data demonstrates employers continue to place high value on human skills, even as the nature of work shifts with technological advancements,” ManpowerGroup chair and CEO Jonas Prising said in a press release. “Nearly two-thirds of employers tell us they are hiring because the roles and skills their organizations need are changing — many are reconsidering the tasks within jobs rather than displacing full positions.
“Over the next five years, the defining challenge will be redesigning work at scale,” Prising said. “The most forward-thinking employers are building the skills they need from both within and outside their companies, shaping agile workforces that can adapt as organizations seek to realize the true value of AI.”
Forty-three percent of employers globally plan to increase staffing between October and December, compared with 14% anticipating reductions; 41% expect staffing levels to remain unchanged. Expected decreases are driven more by a soft economic environment rather than artificial intelligence or automation, according to ManpowerGroup.
The complete survey is available here.
