Find Jobs Control your career. Find the right role for you - remote, hybrid or on-site. Find your next job Search jobs now Find the right job type for you Create a job alert Explore how we help job seekers Hire Talent We're ready to help you hire talent at every level, from office support roles to C-suite. Hire talent Contract talent Full-Time talent Learn how we work with you Executive search Finance and Accounting Technology Marketing and Creative Legal Administrative and Customer Support Explore Consulting Solutions See how our consulting capabilities can help transform your business. Explore consulting solutions Cloud • Cybersecurity • Data & Analytics • Data Privacy • Intelligent Automation • IT Service Desk Technology Internal Audit • Regulatory Compliance • Financial Crimes Compliance • Risk Management • Sarbanes-Oxley Risk, Audit and Compliance Finance Transformation • Process Optimization • Finance Technology & Data • Reporting & Compliance • Cost & Performance Management Finance and Accounting Digital Transformation • Marketing Services • Marketing Technology • Creative and Design Digital, Marketing and Customer Experience Data Privacy • Legal Consulting • Transaction Services Legal Contact Centers • Sustainability • Operational Effectiveness • Supply Chain • Sourcing & Procurement Operations HR Transformation • Employee Experience • Managed Talent • Future of Work • Organizational Transformation Human Resources Discover Insights Make smarter decisions with the latest hiring trends and career insights. Discover Insights 2027 Salary Guide Demand for Skilled Talent Report Job Market Outlook Press Room Tech insights Labor market overview AI in recruiting Navigating the AI era Staffing for small businesses Cost of a bad hire Browse jobs Find your next hire Our locations

2026 U.S. Hiring Plans and Challenges

Schedule a walk-through  Job seekers: Explore opportunities and grow your career.

Navigate the report

Home Home U.S. Hiring plans and challenges U.S. Hiring plans and challenges Trends by Profession Finance and accounting Technology Marketing and creative Legal Administrative and customer support Non-clinical healthcare Human resources Succession and Pipeline Planning Succession and Pipeline Planning 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 full-time 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. Hiring managers: Get customized insights and workforce strategies from a Robert Half talent solutions professional.

Hiring Plans for 2026

Demand for full-time and contract talent signals urgent skill needs, and staffing firms are uniquely positioned to help companies meet immediate and long-term workforce goals.

66%

of company leaders plan to increase full-time 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 Faster access to in-demand expertise More thorough candidate evaluation Greater confidence in making the right hire the first time

Understand the Data. Remove the Guesswork. Hire With Confidence.

A Report Walk-Through Delivers Deeper Insights

You’ll learn what the data means for your team, local trends shaping hiring and strategies to strengthen your workforce. Schedule a walk-through

Build Your Team

We connect you with skilled professionals who are ready to step in and support your business from day one. Hire talent

Looking for Work?

We’ll help you find opportunities where your skills and experience can make an immediate impact. Find a job

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 Faster access to in-demand expertise More thorough candidate evaluation Greater confidence in making the right hire the first time

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.
2027 Salary Guide Explore the latest data for roles in 7 professional fields and know 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.
Browse Jobs Contract Talent Full-Time Talent Consulting Solutions Finance & Accounting Technology Marketing & Creative Legal Administrative & Customer Support Discover Insights Invoice Job Directory Salary Guide Time Reports Create a Job Alert Contact Us About Robert Half Leadership Careers With Us Locations Investor Center Press Supplier Relations Fraud Alert Government Notice Privacy Notice Terms of Use Robert Half Inc. An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/Disability/Veterans.   Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information Australia - English Belgium - English Belgium - Nederlands Belgium - Français Brazil - Português Canada - English Canada - Français Chile - Español China - English China - 中文 France - Français Germany - Deutsch Hong Kong, China - English Ireland - English Italy - Italian Japan - English Japan - 日本語 Luxembourg - English Luxembourg - Français Netherlands - English Netherlands - Nederlands New Zealand - English Singapore - English Switzerland - Deutsch Switzerland - English Switzerland - Français United Arab Emirates - English United Kingdom - English United States - English