The State of Hiring: 5% Increase in New Job Postings
ManpowerGroup data showed a 5% increase in new postings in January, which Doyle called “a small but meaningful indication that organizations are beginning the year with clearer hiring plans.” Doyle noted that employers are being deliberate with the jobs they add, focusing on work tied to execution, service delivery and long-term capability. Read more | Paying to get hired: What the reverse recruiting trend tells HR ## Where the pressure points are building Beneath the headline numbers, several indicators shed light on workforce reality. ### Healthcare job growth [...] ### Skills mismatch leading to long-term unemployment Long-term unemployment is another signal worth tracking. The number of people jobless for 27 weeks or more changed little in January at 1.8 million, according to BLS data, but is up by 386,000 from a year earlier. The long-term unemployed now account for 25% of all unemployed people. That trend points to a skills mismatch problem more than a demand problem and suggests an opening for organizations willing to invest in skills-based hiring and return-to-work initiatives. ### Part-time workers [...] Planet Group findings back that up. Contract job demand in January paced just under January 2025 levels but was the strongest the firm has seen since October, according to Belmonte. Permanent hiring was down year over year in 2025, but January permanent job orders were the highest since October as well, suggesting what she called early signs of “selective confidence” returning for critical full-time roles. Ger Doyle, regional president of North America at staffing firm ManpowerGroup, pointed to similar patterns. “The latest numbers point to a labor market that continues to show more underlying strength than many anticipated,” Doyle said in an email.