U.S. firms plan hiring surge in H2 2026, targeting tech, health and finance talent

Staffing firm Robert Half reports that 66% of U.S. employers aim to raise permanent headcount in the latter half of 2026, a rise from 60% in the first half and 57% a year earlier. Over half of firms will also turn to contract talent to address persistent skill shortages, with nearly half having postponed projects because of these gaps. Technology roles top the hiring list at 78%, followed by healthcare (75%), finance and accounting (74%), marketing and creative (65%) and legal (58%).

Human-resources (56%) and administrative/customer-support staff (52%) also see strong demand despite some automation. The hardest-to-fill skills include industry-specific knowledge (47%), software proficiency (42%) and leadership ability (40%). The hiring outlook follows a recent slowdown that saw only 57,000 new openings in June and follows a wave of layoffs that peaked in 2025.