ManpowerGroup – Employment Outlook Survey, Q2 2026

The report presents global employment outlook and hiring expectations for the second quarter (Q2) of 2026, based on a survey of employers.

More than 41,700 employers across 42 countries participated, showing a seasonally adjusted Net Employment Outlook (NEO) of 31%, indicating positive hiring sentiment. The global NEO improved by 6 percentage points from the previous quarter and 7 points year-over-year. Hiring increases are mainly driven by company expansion, while expected decreases in staffing are due to economic challenges. The Asia-Pacific region shows the most improvement (+9 points) and the strongest NEO (39%). India and sectors such as Information, Utilities & Natural Resources report strong hiring outlooks. Smaller and medium-sized organizations show strong hiring sentiment, with 45% planning to increase staff, 40% planning no change, 13% anticipating reductions, and 2% unsure.