ManpowerGroup – Employment Outlook Survey, Q1 2026

The report presents global employment outlooks and employer hiring sentiment for the first quarter of 2026, based on a survey of more than 39,000 employers across 41 countries.

The seasonally adjusted Net Employment Outlook (NEO) for Q1 2026 is 24%. Global employment outlooks increased by 4% compared to the previous quarter but decreased by 4% compared to the same time last year. Hiring increases are mainly driven by company expansion, while decreases are due to economic challenges. The strongest outlooks were reported in the Asia-Pacific region and Brazil, with notable improvements in certain sectors and company sizes.