Employers Tighten Focus on AI and Human Skills as Global Tech Hiring Moderates

As global tech hiring cools from a strong second quarter, employers remain focused on the skills that matter most: AI capabilities and the human expertise to deploy them effectively. More than 4,000 Tech & IT Services employers across 42 countries report a global Net Employment Outlook (NEO) of 35% for Q3 2026 (July–September), according to the latest Tech Talent Outlook from Experis, part of the ManpowerGroup family of brands.

While hiring plans remain positive, the result represents a seven-point cooling from the previous quarter and a one-point dip year-over-year, signaling a shift toward more deliberate, skills-focused team expansion. Fifty percent of employers plan to add staff in Q3, while 33% plan to maintain current levels. Globally, Puerto Rico (68%), Brazil (53%), and the United Kingdom (51%) post the strongest Outlooks. In the United States, the Q3 tech-sector NEO stands at 47%, above the global average and reflecting continued confidence in tech hiring among U.S. employers.

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“The Q3 data reflects a tech labor market that is being deliberate, not retreating, with global hiring intentions virtually unchanged from a year ago,” said Kye Mitchell, President of Experis U.S. “Talent has become the limiting factor in technology transformation. The organizations that will win in the AI era are not necessarily the ones investing the most in technology; they will be the ones that build, buy, and develop talent faster than their competitors. In the U.S. and globally, the biggest challenge is no longer the technology itself. It’s helping people and processes evolve alongside it.”

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Key Global Findings

• Hiring Picture: 50% of the more than 4,000 tech employers surveyed across 42 countries plan to add staff in Q3, while 15% anticipate a decrease and 33% expect to keep workforce levels steady, resulting in a seasonally adjusted NEO of 35%.

• Top Technical Skills in Demand: AI Modeling & App Development is the most sought-after technical capability (34%), followed by AI Literacy (30%) and Traditional IT & Data (29%).

• Top Human Skills in Demand: Communication, Collaboration & Teamwork ranks as the most critical human skill (41%), followed by Professionalism & Work Ethic (37%) and Adaptability & Willingness to Learn (34%).

• Responding to Scarcity: 95% of employers are deploying a mix of strategies to address ongoing shortages. The most common actions are upskilling and reskilling current employees (30%), offering greater work location flexibility (24%), and increasing wages (22%).

Regional Highlights

Tech hiring expectations vary significantly across geographies, with some markets holding strong while others show continued caution.

The Americas

• Puerto Rico leads all countries globally with a Q3 NEO of 68%, up 45 points year-over-year, followed by Brazil (53%) and the United States (47%).
• Panama (-1%) is the only Americas market to report a negative Outlook.

Asia Pacific

• Vietnam (50%) and India (47%) reflect robust demand for tech and IT talent, with Australia (33%) and China (39%) posting moderate but positive Outlooks.
• Hong Kong (-10%) reports the weakest Outlook in the region, reflecting ongoing economic caution.

Europe and the Middle East

• The United Kingdom leads the region at 51%, up four points year-over-year, followed by Israel (42%) and Czech Republic (40%), which posted a quarter-over-quarter gain of +27 points.
• Romania (-11%) and Slovakia (-10%) report the weakest Outlooks globally, reflecting continued economic caution across parts of Central and Eastern Europe.

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