Employers heading into the second half of 2026 plan to hire, but nearly half say they cannot fill the open positions they have. According to a new Express Employment Professionals-Harris Poll survey, 44% of hiring managers report unfilled openings, the highest share since spring 2023 and up sharply from 36% in the fall of 2025.
Despite the talent crunch, hiring sentiment remains largely upbeat. Eighty-four percent of U.S. hiring managers feel positive about their company’s hiring outlook for the remainder of 2026, nearly unchanged from 85% in the fall of 2025. Managers describe their outlook as optimistic (54%), confident (52%), and hopeful (49%).
That optimism is translating into concrete hiring plans, though at a slower pace than before. Sixty percent of companies plan to increase headcount in the second half of 2026, down from 66% in the fall of 2025. Nearly one in five (19%) say their company plans to make significant increases.
Practical business needs are driving those hiring decisions. Among companies planning to expand, 53% cite increased volumes of work, 49% are filling newly created positions, 42% are replacing employees who left, and 37% are staffing expansion into new categories or markets.
Yet optimism does not mean smooth sailing. Nine in ten hiring managers expect to face challenges in the second half of the year. The top expected obstacles reflect a workforce in transition: 49% cite the need to navigate artificial intelligence in recruitment and hiring processes, 42% point to difficulty finding qualified candidates, and 32% worry about planning labor needs amid recession concerns and policy uncertainty.
The data reveals a labor market caught between two forces. Employers have operational reasons to hire—more work, new roles, turnover to fill. But the pool of available, qualified talent remains constrained. For workers, that means opportunities are available. For employers, the challenge is no longer just deciding whether to hire, but how to connect with the right candidates quickly enough to fill roles before they lose ground to competitors.
Sources
- Express Employment Professionals — Express Employment Professionals-Harris Poll survey on hiring managers’ outlook for second half of 2026, including sentiment, hiring plans, and expected challenges
- Metro Atlanta CEO — Detailed reporting on the Express survey findings, including breakdown of reasons for hiring and staffing decisions
