Job hunters were off to a bad start in 2026, with hiring rates dropping to pandemic-era lows. But looking ahead, U.S. businesses are poised to beef up their headcounts—and workers in HR, tech, and healthcare are most in demand.
Around two-thirds (66%) of U.S. employers plan to increase permanent hiring in the second half of this year, according to recent data from staffing firm Robert Half.
That’s up from 60% who said the same in the first half of this year, and an even bigger bump from the 57% one year ago. Plus, 56% of American employers say they’ll be adding contract talent to help unlock specialized skills that have been in short supply; nearly half have had to cancel projects due to a skills gap. They can no longer afford to hold out.
Michelle Reisdorf, district director at Robert Half, tells Fortune that employers seem to have reached a boiling point where waiting longer to hire “isn’t really an option” anymore.
“They have business priorities to move forward,” she adds. “They’re not hiring just to add headcount, but they are willing to invest in talent for roles that directly support those goals.”
