Global Hiring Intentions Strengthen as Employment Outlook Hits Returns to 2022 Levels

Rhea-AI Summary

ManpowerGroup (NYSE:MAN) Q2 2026 Employment Outlook shows global hiring intentions strengthening: a Net Employment Outlook (NEO) of 31%, up six points quarter-over-quarter and seven points year-over-year — the strongest reading since Q3 2022. Data from 41,700+ employers across 42 countries was collected Jan 1–Feb 3, 2026.

Key findings: 45% of organizations plan to increase staff, 67% already use AI in hiring/onboarding/training, and regional leaders include India (68%) and APAC (39%). Results predate late-February geopolitical developments.

Positive

• Net Employment Outlook at 31%, strongest since Q3 2022
• 45% of employers plan to increase headcount in Q2 2026
• 67% of organizations use AI for hiring, onboarding, or training
• India reports a 68% hiring Outlook, leading globally

Negative

• 13% of employers expect headcount reductions in Q2 2026
• Only 8% say AI fully meets hiring and training expectations
• 16% report no positive ROI from AI to date
• Europe & Middle East posts lowest regional Outlook at 23%

News Market Reaction – MAN

-2.36%

2 alerts

-2.36% Session close to close

$1.26B Market Cap

0.0x Rel. Volume

In the Mar 10 session, MAN declined 2.36%, reflecting a moderate negative market reaction. Our momentum scanner triggered 2 alerts that day, indicating moderate trading interest and price volatility.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.

Market Context

This announcement highlights a stronger global hiring backdrop, with a Net Employment Outlook of 31%...

Analysis

This announcement highlights a stronger global hiring backdrop, with a Net Employment Outlook of 31% for Q2 2026 and notable AI adoption in workforce processes. For MAN, it adds macro confirmation around labor demand that complements recent earnings and AI-focused releases. Investors may watch regional trends, especially in Europe and weaker markets such as Romania, alongside MAN’s own revenue and margin updates to gauge how this environment translates into actual staffing volumes and profitability.

Key Figures

Global Net Employment Outlook: 31% Employers surveyed: 41,700 Plan to increase staff: 45% +5 more

8 metrics

Global Net Employment Outlook 31% Q2 2026 survey reading, highest since Q3 2022

Employers surveyed 41,700 Number of employers across 42 countries in survey

Plan to increase staff 45% Organizations expecting to add headcount in Q2 2026

Using AI in hiring/training 67% Organizations already deploying AI in workforce processes

APAC Outlook 39% Regional Net Employment Outlook for Asia Pacific, Q2 2026

India Outlook 68% Highest Net Employment Outlook globally, Q2 2026

Europe & Middle East Outlook 23% Lowest regional Net Employment Outlook globally, Q2 2026

Romania Outlook -5% Weakest country-level Net Employment Outlook in survey

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Mar 03 (Positive)

Pattern 5 events

Date	Event	Sentiment	24h Move	Catalyst
Mar 03	AI hiring partnership	Positive	+3.8%	Announced global AI-powered interviewing partnership to scale structured candidate screening.
Mar 02	Industry conference	Neutral	-3.4%	Highlighted workforce insights and AI skill shortages at Mobile World Congress Barcelona.
Feb 26	AI skills shortage	Positive	+8.0%	Reported global talent shortages with AI skills emerging as hardest-to-fill roles.
Jan 29	Q4 2025 earnings	Positive	+14.9%	Released Q4 2025 revenue, earnings, margins and forward EPS guidance.
Jan 29	Earnings correction	Positive	+14.9%	Issued corrected Q4 and full-year 2025 figures, confirming revenue and EPS metrics.

24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.

Pattern Detected

Recent MAN news—especially earnings and AI/talent insights—has often coincided with positive price reactions, with only one negative divergence in the last five events.

Recent Company History

Over recent months, MAN has issued several updates linking talent trends and AI with its core staffing business. The Q4 2025 results and subsequent correction filing on Jan 29 accompanied a strong positive move, while AI and talent-shortage releases on Feb 26 and Mar 3 also saw gains. A workforce-intelligence event on Mar 2 coincided with a decline. Today’s global hiring-outlook survey fits the pattern of macro labor and AI-focused communications that have generally been received constructively.

Key Terms

net employment outlook, ai, return on investment

3 terms

net employment outlook technical

"with a Net Employment Outlook of 31% for Q2 2026"

Net employment outlook is a single number that summarizes employers’ hiring plans by subtracting the share expecting to cut jobs from the share expecting to add jobs, based on a survey. Investors use it as a quick gauge of business confidence and future payroll growth—like a weather forecast for hiring—because rising hiring intentions often signal stronger consumer demand and potential revenue growth, while falling intentions can warn of slowdown.

ai technical

"working to understand where AI genuinely adds value."

Artificial intelligence (AI) is technology that enables machines to mimic human thinking and learning, allowing them to analyze information, recognize patterns, and make decisions. For investors, AI matters because it can improve how businesses operate, create new products, or identify opportunities faster and more accurately than humans alone, potentially impacting company success and market trends.

return on investment financial

"Learning and development deliver the highest perceived return on investment from AI"

Return on investment measures the gain or loss you get from putting money into something, expressed as a percentage of the original cost. It matters to investors because it shows how efficiently capital is being used—like comparing how much fruit different trees produce per seed planted—helping decide which opportunities deliver more reward for each dollar and whether results beat expectations or benchmarks.

AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

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Latest ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey finds employers are predicting hiring plans at their highest level since Q3 2022, with a Net Employment Outlook of 31% for Q2 2026

MILWAUKEE, March 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Employer hiring intentions are strengthening heading into the second quarter of 2026, according to ManpowerGroup's latest Employment Outlook Survey of more than 41,700 employers across 42 countries. The global Net Employment Outlook (NEO) for Q2 2026 stands at 31%, up six points from the previous quarter and rising seven points year-over-year, marking its strongest reading since Q3 2022. The data for the second quarter was collected between January 1 and February 3, 2026, prior to geopolitical developments that began across the Middle East in late February. The findings reflect employer sentiment at the time of data collection and may not capture the potential impact of subsequent events.

While 45% of organizations plan to increase staff in Q2, 40% plan to maintain current headcount, and 13% anticipate reductions, improving three points from last quarter. Only 2% of employers remain unsure of their hiring intentions, down from 4% last quarter, signaling that economic uncertainty is beginning to ease.

"The data tells a nuanced story, with more employers hiring for expansion and to backfill roles, and fewer reducing headcount than we've seen in recent quarters. Yet the second-largest group remains those holding steady, watching the environment before they commit," said Jonas Prising, ManpowerGroup Chair & CEO. "Though current geopolitical uncertainty may contribute to more hesitancy, the direction is encouraging, and businesses have become used to navigating complex environments. The results demonstrate organizations continue to see human talent as a core component in the engine of growth while working to understand where AI genuinely adds value."

AI Adoption and Workforce Strategy
Beyond hiring intentions, the survey examined how employers are deploying AI across workforce strategy, finding widespread adoption but uneven returns.

Two-thirds of organizations (67%) are already using AI in hiring, onboarding, or training new workers. Adoption rises to 80% in Asia Pacific, with particularly high usage in China (95%) and India (87%).

Learning and development deliver the highest perceived return on investment from AI, cited by 27% of employers. Team performance (16%) and scheduling or forecasting (14%) follow.

However, expectations remain measured. Just 8% say AI fully meets expectations in hiring and training, while 16% report no positive ROI to date. Privacy and regulatory concerns (13%), insufficient company training (10%), and workers' lack of AI skills (10%) are the primary barriers to broader deployment.

Sector and Regional Highlights

Sector Insights

• Employers in Information (41%) and Finance & Insurance (35%) report the most optimistic hiring plans for Q2 2026.
• Hospitality (22%) signals the most cautious hiring intentions this quarter.
• In absolute hiring volume terms, Information and Trade & Logistics anticipate the largest net additions to headcount.

Regional Hiring Plans

• Asia Pacific (APAC): Leads globally with an Outlook of 39%, strengthening quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year. Vietnam joins the survey for the first time this quarter.
  • India (68%) leads regional and global hiring confidence, followed by Vietnam (47%), and Australia (33%).
  • Hong Kong (11%) reports the most cautious Outlook in the region.

• The Americas: Posts the second-strongest regional Outlook at 37%, reflecting improved hiring confidence across North America and Latin America.
  • Brazil (55%) leads regional confidence, followed by Panama (44%) and Costa Rica (43%).
    The United States (38%) reflects resilient labor demand.
  • Colombia (18%) reports the most cautious hiring intentions in the Americas this quarter.

• Europe and the Middle East: Reports the lowest global Outlook at 23%, up modestly quarter-over-quarter.
  • The United Arab Emirates (60%) leads the region, followed by Sweden (39%) and the Netherlands (37%).
  • Romania (-5%) and Slovakia (3%) report the weakest Outlooks globally this quarter.

To explore global hiring trends in detail, view the full Q2 2026 ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey at: https://www.manpowergroup.com/en/insights/q2-2026-manpowergroup-employment-outlook-survey

The next survey will be released in June 2026, reporting hiring expectations for Q3 2026.

ABOUT THE SURVEY
The ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey, now in its 64th year, is the most comprehensive, forward-looking employment survey of its kind, used globally as a key labor market indicator. The Net Employment Outlook (NEO) is derived by taking the percentage of employers anticipating an increase in hiring activity and subtracting from this the percentage of employers expecting a decrease in hiring activity.

SURVEY METHODOLOGY
Survey responses were collected from January 1 and February 3, 2026. Size of organization and sector are standardized across all countries and territories to allow international comparisons.

ABOUT MANPOWERGROUP 
ManpowerGroup® (NYSE: MAN), the leading global workforce solutions company, helps organizations transform in a fast-changing world of work by sourcing, assessing, developing, and managing the talent that enables them to win. We develop innovative solutions for hundreds of thousands of organizations every year, providing them with skilled talent while finding meaningful, sustainable employment for millions of people across a wide range of industries and skills. Our expert family of brands – Manpower, Experis, and Talent Solutions – creates substantially more value for candidates and clients across more than 70 countries and territories and has done so for more than 75 years. We are recognized consistently as a best place to work for Women, Inclusion, Equality, and Disability, and in 2025 ManpowerGroup was named one of the World's Most Ethical Companies for the 16th time; all confirming our position as the brand of choice for in-demand talent.

For more information, visit www.manpowergroup.com, or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Bluesky.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This report contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding labor demand in certain regions, countries and industries, and economic uncertainty. Actual events or results may differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements, due to risks, uncertainties and assumptions. These factors include those found in the Company's reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including the information under the heading "Risk Factors" in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, whose information is incorporated herein by reference. ManpowerGroup disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking or other statements in this release, except as required by law.

 

 

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SOURCE ManpowerGroup

FAQ

What does ManpowerGroup (MAN) report as the Net Employment Outlook for Q2 2026?

The Net Employment Outlook for Q2 2026 is 31%, the strongest since Q3 2022. According to the company, this represents a six-point increase quarter-over-quarter and a seven-point year-over-year gain based on 41,700+ employers surveyed.

How many employers plan to increase staffing according to ManpowerGroup (MAN) Q2 2026 survey?

45% of organizations plan to increase staff in Q2 2026. According to the company, 40% expect to maintain headcount and 13% anticipate reductions, with data collected Jan 1–Feb 3, 2026 prior to late-February events.

What does the ManpowerGroup (MAN) survey say about AI adoption in hiring and training?

67% of organizations are already using AI for hiring, onboarding, or training. According to the company, adoption is higher in APAC (80%) and notable barriers include privacy/regulatory concerns and insufficient training.

Which regions and countries lead hiring confidence in the ManpowerGroup (MAN) Q2 2026 survey?

Asia Pacific leads with a 39% Outlook; India posts 68% confidence. According to the company, the Americas follow at 37% overall, while Europe & the Middle East report the weakest regional Outlook at 23%.

How should investors interpret ManpowerGroup (MAN) Q2 2026 results given recent geopolitical events?

The results reflect employer sentiment collected Jan 1–Feb 3, 2026 and may not capture later impacts. According to the company, hiring intentions were strengthening at survey time, but subsequent geopolitical developments could alter the outlook.