ManpowerGroup Q3 Outlook Dips Five Points to 26% as Mid-Size Firms Lead at 32%
MAN•ManpowerGroup’s Q3 2026 global Net Employment Outlook is 26%, down five points from last quarter, with mid-size employers posting the strongest hiring intentions at 32%. Forty-two percent of firms plan headcount increases while 16% foresee reductions and AI tools remain secondary to human resume review.
1. Global Hiring Outlook Falls to 26%
ManpowerGroup’s Net Employment Outlook for Q3 2026 registers at 26%, down five percentage points from Q2 but two points higher than a year ago. Forty-two percent of the 40,592 surveyed employers plan to increase staff, 40% will maintain headcount and 16% anticipate reductions.
2. Mid-Size Organizations Show Strongest Confidence
Employers with 250–999 employees report the most optimistic hiring plans globally at 32%, marking a six-point year-over-year gain. This outpaces both small businesses and large enterprises, which recorded lower outlooks for the quarter.
3. AI Tools Supplement Human-Driven Hiring
Despite growing AI adoption, 57% of employers still prioritize human resume review over AI-driven resume screening (44%) and AI-assisted job description writing (46%). Automated status updates and communication tools are used by 48% of firms, while always-on AI matching solutions with human oversight register 41%.
4. Sector and Regional Highlights
Information (32%) and Construction & Real Estate (31%) lead sector hiring plans for Q3, while Hospitality hits its lowest outlook since Q3 2021 at 14%. Regionally, the Americas remain most resilient with the U.S. at 45% and Puerto Rico at 48% NEO, Asia Pacific falls to 28%, and Europe & Middle East drops to 16%.
