The Roundup 2026: volume 2 / Article 1 / Article 2 / Article 3 / Article 4
Sometimes, no news is the news. This is the case with global hiring trends. After several years of abrupt rises and falls in workforce participation and unemployment, recent employment numbers seem stable.
Current data confirms new job growth in the U.S., particularly in healthcare, construction, and transportation/warehousing during Q1 2026. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported consistent job openings at 6.9 million and a notable rise in hires to 5.5 million in March (the highest since 2024).
The mood of cautious hiring extends globally, as businesses look to grow in the face of regional conflicts and economic disruption. Beneath the calm numbers, employers are reengineering their talent acquisition and extended workforce strategies for a dynamic, unpredictable future. But first, the trends:
Our view:
Shift sourcing strategies to a changing landscape.
Geography and skills influence how and where companies seek the workers they need. Market data from Lightcast, Brightfield, TalentNeuron, and other sources provides a current detailed view of the labor supply for permanent talent and the extended workforce, but static data isn’t enough.
Connecting point-in-time market data using AI-driven analytics brings new dimensions of workforce intelligence to life. These analytics can identify trends in the talent supply and changes in titles and skills requirements for roles, including hard-to-find niche skills. For example, an effort to reestablish titles, revisit needed skills, and update sourcing strategies proved critical in helping us fill 100% of senior roles for a client across eight countries. There’s no need to guess at answers to these questions, as the data holds real insights and answers.
Knowing the skills, the current language for describing them, and where the talent with those skills is concentrated will go a long way toward a successful, reliable sourcing strategy.
Don’t predetermine your workforce strategy. Do the research.
What’s the best model for the job at hand: a contingent worker or permanent hire? Are you targeting the right locations for the skills you need, bringing the right message, and making a competitive offer? These questions of workstyle, skills, talent attraction, sourcing strategy, and costs now shape every aspect of workforce strategy. Many organizations are ill-equipped to answer them.
We address that gap with consulting offerings and a workforce navigator tool that add a valuable, additional level of expertise. Clients benefit from a managed solutions partner that has dedicated expertise in the field, executes the strategies it recommends, and shares ownership of desired outcomes.
Flexibility and vision make the difference.
When facing the strategic workforce planning challenges of an uncertain economy, flexibility is essential. By building their talent function to reach all worker types, and seeing where the best opportunities lie, companies can adapt quickly as trends and demands shift.
The right talent solutions provider can bring this capability. Look for breadth of service across all aspects of the workforce, a technology ecosystem built for guiding complex decisions, and an expert, consultative relationship to map a successful path forward.
Seeing the workforce.
"The pain that pushes a company to seek a global solution is simple: They don’t know who’s working for them, what work is being done, or the state of their talent supply and demand. This can be solved without requiring a full-service program in every country."
Ben Decker, Vice President, Enterprise Workforce Solutions, Kelly®
