2026 U.S. hiring plans and challenges

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In the second half of 2026, staffing conversations are shifting from how many people to which roles will make the most impact. Companies are adding permanent and contract talent to meet business demands and stay flexible as priorities change. For most employers, the question is how to balance speed, quality and evolving skills needs when hiring.

However, hiring has become more challenging. Organizations are seeing more resumes but fewer candidates ready to perform immediately. Talent evaluation is taking longer as teams spend more time verifying experience and credentials.

To keep work moving, companies are expanding candidate sourcing, refining role requirements and working with staffing firms to close critical gaps faster. Hiring success in the second half of 2026 hinges on efficiency, sharper assessment and aligning new talent to the work that matters most.

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Hiring plans for 2026

Demand for both permanent and contract talent signals the pressure companies face to secure critical skills quickly while building for the future. Staffing firms are uniquely positioned to help meet immediate and long-term workforce goals.

66%

of company leaders plan to increase permanent headcount in the second half of the year.

56%

expect to bring on more contract talent, reflecting the need for scalable support.

Job market outlook

Increase Stay the
same Decrease Increase Stay the
same Decrease

Why hiring is getting harder

58% of business leaders say finding skilled professionals is more difficult than it was a year ago. AI is adding complexity, with 65% reporting hiring issues tied to AI-generated applications. In response, 67% of employers say they are more likely to seek support from a staffing firm.

Increased applications from unqualified candidates

Difficulty identifying authentic resumes

More steps to validate skills

AI’s impact on hiring

Skills gaps persist

Technical or
specialized
skills Industry-specific
knowledge Proficiency
with specific
software Leadership
qualities Required
years of
experience Technical or
specialized
skills Industry--specific
knowledge Proficiency
with specific
software Leadership
qualities Required
years of
experience

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Why companies use staffing firms

Specialized
project skills Urgent project
support Backfill for
internal staff Transformation
initiatives Maintenance or
support work Specialized
project skills Urgent project
support Backfill for
internal staff Transformation
initiatives Maintenance or
support work

More to explore

Labor market overview Stay on top of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and job posting data to learn about today’s hiring market.

Small business recruitment trends Get up to speed on small business staffing trends and find out what it takes to attract and hire top talent.

2026 Salary Guide Explore the latest data for roles across 7 professional fields and what you should pay or earn in local and national markets.

The surveys cited were developed by Robert Half and conducted by an independent research firm. Results may not total 100% due to rounding or allowing for multiple responses. Respondents included executives, hiring managers and workers from small (10-99 employees), midsize (100-999 employees) and large (1,000+ employees) businesses in private, publicly listed and public sector organizations across the U.S.

Over 1.5 million new positions from more than 9,000 independent job boards and company websites are represented in this report, including thousands of placements from Robert Half. Positions are categorized into more than 430 job titles within Robert Half’s Salary Guide using a proprietary mapping methodology that employs state-of-the-art large language models. This dataset includes roles across the finance and accounting, technology, marketing and creative, legal, administrative and customer support, non-clinical healthcare, and human resources professions.