Q1 2026 Net Employment Outlook (NEO) for U.S. is 27%
More than 6,000 U.S. employers were asked about their hiring intentions for the first quarter of 2026.
The Net Employment Outlook is derived by taking the percentage of employers anticipating an increase in hiring activity and subtracting from this the percentage of employers expecting a decrease in hiring activity.
Plan to Hire
Expect to Let Staff Go
Plan to Keep Work Levels Steady
Unsure About Hiring Plans
Net Employment Outlook (NEO) by Sector for Q1 2026
What is the outlook for your industry where you live?
Q1 2026 NEO:
27%
*Where a number is asterisked (*) it is indicating a small sample size, and these numbers or comparisons should be treated as indicative only.
Net Employment Outlook (NEO) by Region for Q1 2026
