What does the human resources (HR) hiring market look like?
Human resources hiring in the second half of 2026 is being shaped by organizations' need to refine talent strategies and improve performance management. Many employers are hiring HR talent to manage recruitment, support skills development and improve employee experience management initiatives.
More than half (56%) of HR leaders plan to increase permanent headcount in the second half of 2026, while 50% expect to bring in more contract professionals.
These staffing plans are unfolding in a tight labor market, where nearly 6 in 10 HR leaders (59%) say it's more difficult to find skilled HR talent than it was a year ago. The breadth of today's HR responsibilities—spanning analytics, HR technology, compliance, engagement and strategic workforce planning—means fewer candidates have the full mix of skills and experience organizations seek. For many businesses, the harder question is how fast they can recruit professionals who can make an immediate impact.
How skills shortages are affecting teams
58% of HR leaders say skills shortages have caused project delays in the past year, and 51% report that projects have been canceled entirely.
The initiatives most affected are those tied to talent strategy and organizational performance:
Hiring and retaining skilled talent: cited by 36% of HR leaders
Planning for future workforce needs: 36%
Enhancing employee engagement: 35%
Improving performance management: 34%
Implementing or optimizing HR technology and analytics: 32%
The percentages are tightly clustered, which suggests the shortages aren't stalling any single type of work—they're slowing HR down across the board.
What job posting trends show
Based on Robert Half’s analysis of job posting activity in the U.S., HR hiring remained steady in 2025, with employers advertising 30,300 positions. The strongest demand was centered on roles tied to compensation, L&D and strategic hiring support—functions that help organizations manage shifting workforce expectations and ongoing business and digital transformation.
More than half (16,500) of job postings in the HR category were for talent management or L&D roles—a sign of how much businesses are investing in employee experience management and skills development. Compensation and benefits roles represented 36% of all HR postings last year, and over half (5,900) were for HR managers.
Talent acquisition roles saw a modest increase, with 2,900 postings in 2025, driven largely by hiring in the healthcare and staffing industries. While growth was incremental, it suggests many employers are selectively adding recruiting capacity to support priority initiatives.
Looking at industries, business and professional services led HR hiring in 2025 with 9,900 jobs, followed by healthcare (3,300), manufacturing and distribution (3,200), and tech and IT (1,600). These are industries with large workforces and ongoing operational demands—and a sustained need for robust HR capabilities.
What unemployment rates suggest about the competition for skilled talent
Unemployment data reinforces how limited the available talent pool remains for many HR roles. Based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the following roles were among those with Q1 unemployment rates well below the national rate of 4.3% for May 2026:
Other positions in human resources with low unemployment include:
Compensation, benefits and job analysis specialists: 0.4%
Human resources workers: 1.1%
Training and development specialists: 2.2%
What HR skills are in demand?
In 2026, employers are prioritizing HR skills that support hiring and employee development. Demand is also rising for HR professionals who can apply soft skills such as critical thinking and problem solving to their work when using AI tools.
Here are some highlights from Robert Half’s Demand for Skilled Talent report and job posting analysis.
HR technical capabilities employers value most
Benefit administration
Employee onboarding
HRIS
Recruitment
Performance management
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