Dive Brief:
- The global hiring market may be turning more “measured” in the wake of economic uncertainty, according to a Sept. 9 report from ManpowerGroup. Forty-five percent of employers surveyed said they intend to maintain current workforce levels in 2025 Q4, the highest since early 2022, the company said.
- Less than two-fifths said they planned to add staff in Q4, while 15% said they expect to make reductions, according to the data. ManpowerGroup surveyed 40,000 employers across 42 countries.
- Notably, those that intend to hire are focused on hiring for specific capabilities, ManpowerGroup said, such as technological advancement.
Dive Insight:
Employers are turning cautious with their outlooks, ManpowerGroup said, and are focused upon retention rather than hiring at the moment. However: “This isn’t simply about hiring less,” Jonas Prising, ManpowerGroup chair and CEO, said in a statement, “it’s about hiring more selectively, maintaining organizational resilience, and shaping workforces that can adapt to a changing environment.”
Nearly half of employers surveyed said that attracting qualified applicants remains their biggest hurdle, as does retention. AI talent, for example, has managed to escape most hiring slumps, even among those in IT reports have indicated.
However, two-thirds of HR managers surveyed told Careerminds that they have implemented hiring freezes, and nearly half said recruitment will be paused for at least the next 12 months. For that reason — particularly as quit rates fall — many HR professionals say they are prioritizing reskilling and internal mobility.
Additionally, CHROs may be focused on offering change management training so that company leadership can maintain course during economic uncertainty, according to an August report from The Conference Board.