188 Human Resources Statistics for 2026

How many job openings and hires are there in the US?

The US job openings rate has fallen each year since 2022 and hiring has slowed with it. Employers still made more than five million hires in September 2026.

View data table

US annual average job openings rate, total nonfarm, 2021-2025: job openings as a percentage of employment plus job openings, not seasonally adjusted.

Period	Value
2021	6.4%
2022	6.8%
2023	5.6%
2024	4.6%
2025	4.3%

• US employers made 5.4 million hires in September 2026, a hires rate of 3.4% of employment. (BLS (JOLTS news release), Nov 2026)
• The US annual average hires rate was 3.3% of employment in 2025, against 3.4% in 2024, 3.8% in 2023, 4.2% in 2022 and 4.3% in 2021. (BLS (JOLTS Table 18), 2026)
• US private employers had an annual average job openings rate of 4.5% in 2025, against 7.2% in 2022 and 6.8% in 2021. (BLS (JOLTS Table 16), 2026)
• US employers expect to increase their hiring of new college graduates from the Class of 2026 by 5.6%, a median projection from NACE's spring 2026 employer survey. (NACE (Job Outlook 2026 Spring Update), Apr 2026)
• US employers with more than 5,000 employees are increasing their hiring of new graduates by 8.7% in the same NACE projection. (NACE (Job Outlook 2026 Spring Update), Apr 2026)
• US-based companies announced plans to hire 655,304 workers in January to October 2026, up 34% from 488,077 a year earlier, in Challenger's count of announced hiring plans. (Challenger, Gray & Christmas (October 2026 report), Nov 2026)
• 470,400 of the US hiring plans announced in January to October 2026 were seasonal. (Challenger, Gray & Christmas (October 2026 report), Nov 2026)

JOLTS is the BLS survey of employers. Monthly figures are for September 2026. Annual rates are averages of monthly rates from the annual tables and are not seasonally adjusted. The NACE figure is a projection from its own employer survey and the Challenger figure is the firm's count of announced hiring plans; neither can be compared with JOLTS hires.

How hard is it to hire in 2026?

Most employers say it is hard. About seven in ten US employers in ManpowerGroup's survey report difficulty finding talent, and just over half of UK organisations that tried to recruit told the CIPD they struggled to attract candidates.

1. 1 Slovakia 87%
2. 2 Japan 84%
3. 3 Germany 83%
4. 4 India 82%
5. 5 Spain 78%
6. 6 France 74%
7. 7 Italy 70%
8. 8 US 69%
9. 9 Mexico 67%
10. 10 Australia 65%
11. 11 Poland 57%
12. 12 China 48%

• 69% of US employers reported difficulty finding the talent they need in 2026, against 71% the previous year, in ManpowerGroup's own employer survey. (ManpowerGroup (2026 US Talent Shortage Survey), 2026)
• The global average across the 41 countries in ManpowerGroup's 2026 survey was 72% of employers reporting difficulty. (ManpowerGroup (2026 US Talent Shortage Survey), 2026)
• In Europe, the share of employers reporting talent shortages in 2026 was 84% in Greece, 82% in Portugal, 81% in Ireland, 78% in Switzerland, 74% in Norway and 73% in both Sweden and the Netherlands. (ManpowerGroup (2026 US Talent Shortage Survey), 2026)
• 53% of UK organisations that tried to recruit in the past year had difficulties attracting candidates, in the CIPD's 2026 survey of HR and people professionals. (CIPD (Resourcing and talent planning 2026), 2026)
• 52% of UK organisations said competition for well-qualified talent had increased over the past year, and 44% that talent was more difficult to retain. (CIPD (Resourcing and talent planning 2026), 2026)
• 31% of UK employers had hard-to-fill vacancies in summer 2026. (CIPD (Labour Market Outlook, summer 2026), Aug 2026)
• 14% of UK employers expected significant problems filling vacancies in the next six months, and a further 34% expected minor problems. (CIPD (Labour Market Outlook, summer 2026), Aug 2026)

ManpowerGroup is a staffing firm and these figures come from its own survey of employers, who report their own hiring difficulty. The CIPD figures come from two separate UK surveys: one of HR and people professionals, one of employers. The three surveys ask different questions and cannot be compared.

How much does it cost to hire, and how long does it take?

Executive hires cost far more than ordinary ones, and SHRM's US benchmarks show their cost more than doubling since 2017. Filling a role takes about a month and a half.

1. 1 Nonexecutive roles $1,200
2. 2 Executive roles $10,625

• The median cost-per-hire for executive roles was $10,625 in SHRM's 2025 benchmarking survey, a 113% increase from 2017 and a 21% rise from 2022. (SHRM (2025 recruiting benchmarking), 2025)
• Median time-to-fill in SHRM's 2025 benchmarking data was "about a month and a half" for both executive and nonexecutive positions. (SHRM (2025 recruiting benchmarking), 2025)
• Extra-large organisations (5,000 or more employees) in SHRM's 2025 data reported a time-to-fill of 61 days for nonexecutive positions and 60 days for executive positions. (SHRM (2025 recruiting benchmarking), 2025)
• Among SHRM member organisations with dedicated recruiters, the median number of requisitions managed per recruiter was 20 a year in 2025. (SHRM (2025 recruiting benchmarking), 2025)
• The median cost per hire reported by UK organisations in 2026 was £3,500 for senior managers and directors and £2,000 for other employees. (CIPD (Resourcing and talent planning 2026), 2026)
• 31% of UK organisations tracked time to hire in 2026, up from 21% in 2024. (CIPD (Resourcing and talent planning 2026), 2026)
• 33% of UK organisations collected data on candidate experience in 2026, up from 27% in 2024. (CIPD (Resourcing and talent planning 2026), 2026)

SHRM's figures are medians from its own benchmarking survey of member organisations for 2025. The CIPD medians are for the UK in 2026 and come from the respondents able to estimate their costs. Dollar and pound figures are not converted, and the two surveys are not comparable.

Are UK and EU employers still hiring?

Cautiously. UK vacancies are falling, and the share of private sector employers planning to recruit is the lowest since the CIPD began the measure in 2016, the pandemic aside.

1. 1 Expect an increase 26%
2. 2 Expect no change 49%
3. 3 Expect a decrease 17%

• UK job vacancies fell by 21,000 (2.9%) on the quarter in July to September 2026. (ONS (Labour market overview), Oct 2026)
• 62% of UK employers planned to recruit in the three months after summer 2026. (CIPD (Labour Market Outlook, summer 2026), Aug 2026)
• 57% of UK private sector employers planned to recruit, which the CIPD calls the lowest figure since it began the measure in 2016, outside the pandemic. (CIPD (Labour Market Outlook, summer 2026), Aug 2026)
• The CIPD net employment balance, the share of UK employers expecting to raise staffing minus the share expecting to cut, was +9 in summer 2026. (CIPD (Labour Market Outlook, summer 2026), Aug 2026)
• 2.0% of jobs in the EU and 2.1% of jobs in the euro area were vacant in the second quarter of 2026. (Eurostat (Job vacancy statistics), Sep 2026)
• Eurostat recorded the highest job vacancy rates in the second quarter of 2026 in the Netherlands (4.1%) and Belgium (3.3%). (Eurostat (Job vacancy statistics), Sep 2026)
• The lowest job vacancy rates Eurostat recorded in the second quarter of 2026 were in Romania (0.5%) and in Poland and Bulgaria (both 0.8%). (Eurostat (Job vacancy statistics), Sep 2026)

The ONS figure is an estimate of vacancies from its survey of employers. The CIPD figures are hiring intentions reported by UK employers, not outcomes. Eurostat's job vacancy rate is the share of all posts, filled and unfilled, that are vacant. These are three different measures.

How many workers quit their jobs?

Fewer than in 2021 and 2022. The US annual average quits rate has fallen for three years running, and workers in food service and retail quit at well above the national rate.

View data table

US annual average quits rate, total nonfarm, 2021-2025: the average of monthly quits rates as a percentage of employment, not seasonally adjusted.

Period	Value
2021	2.7%
2022	2.8%
2023	2.4%
2024	2.1%
2025	2.0%

• The US annual average quits rate was 2.0% of employment in 2025, against 2.1% in 2024 and 2.8% in 2022. (BLS (JOLTS Table 22), 2026)
• Across US private employers the annual average quits rate was 2.2% in 2025, against 3.1% in 2022. (BLS (JOLTS Table 22), 2026)
• By industry, the 2025 US annual average quits rate was 3.9% in leisure and hospitality, 2.3% in professional and business services, 1.4% in both manufacturing and financial activities, 1.3% in information and 0.8% in government. (BLS (JOLTS Table 22), 2026)
• The preliminary US quits rate for September 2026 was 5.0% in accommodation and food services and 3.1% in retail trade. (BLS (JOLTS Table 4), Nov 2026)
• The preliminary September 2026 quits rate was 2.4% in US construction, 2.0% in health care and social assistance, 1.6% in manufacturing, 0.8% in government and 0.6% in federal government. (BLS (JOLTS Table 4), Nov 2026)
• 36% of employed US adults said in 2026 that they intend to look for a new job at a different organisation within the next year, up from 31% in 2025 and 29% in 2024. (APA (Work in America 2026), 2026)

The JOLTS quits rate is quits in a month as a percentage of employment. Annual figures are averages of monthly rates as BLS prints them, not a yearly turnover percentage. Industry rates for a single month are preliminary and move a lot from month to month. The APA figure is a stated intention from a survey of employed US adults, not a count of people who left.

What is the employee turnover rate in the US?

BLS publishes no single annual turnover percentage. Its closest measure, the total separations rate, averaged a little over 3% of employment a month in 2025, and far more in leisure and hospitality.

1. 1 Leisure and hospitality 5.6%
2. 2 Professional and business services 4.6%
3. 3 Construction 4.0%
4. 4 Manufacturing 2.4%
5. 5 Financial activities 2.3%
6. 6 Government 1.5%

• Total separations in the US were 5.3 million in September 2026, a rate of 3.3%. (BLS (JOLTS news release), Nov 2026)
• The US annual average total separations rate was 3.3% of employment in 2025, the same as in 2024, against 3.6% in 2023 and 3.9% in both 2021 and 2022. (BLS (JOLTS Table 20), 2026)
• The 2025 US total separations rate was 5.6% in leisure and hospitality, 4.0% in construction and 1.5% in government. (BLS (JOLTS Table 20), 2026)

Total separations are quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations added together. The annual rate is the average of monthly rates as BLS prints it, not seasonally adjusted.

How fast is pay rising?

Between 3% and 4% a year on the official US and UK measures, and US employers are budgeting about the same for 2027. Each source below measures something different, so read them one at a time.

1. 1 High tech 3.8%
2. 2 Banking 3.7%
3. 3 Energy 3.6%
4. 4 Insurance/reinsurance 3.6%
5. 5 Non-financial services 3.6%
6. 6 Healthcare 3.0%
7. 7 Retail 3.0%
8. 8 Consumer goods 2.9%

• US compensation costs for civilian workers rose 3.4% in the 12 months ending September 2026. (BLS (Employment Cost Index), Oct 2026)
• US wages and salaries rose 3.1% and benefit costs 3.9% in the 12 months ending September 2026. (BLS (Employment Cost Index), Oct 2026)
• US employer costs for employee compensation averaged $49.46 per hour worked for civilian workers in June 2026: $33.85 in wages and salaries and $15.61 in benefits. (BLS (Employer Costs for Employee Compensation), Sep 2026)
• Annual growth in employees' average regular earnings, excluding bonuses, was 3.7% in June to August 2026 in the ONS labour market overview for the UK. (ONS (Labour market overview), Oct 2026)
• In real terms, adjusted for CPIH inflation, regular pay in the same ONS release grew 0.6% over the year. (ONS (Labour market overview), Oct 2026)
• Wages advertised in US job postings on Indeed grew 2.9% for jobs paying an annual salary and 1.7% for jobs paying an hourly wage between the first quarter of 2025 and the first quarter of 2026. (Indeed Hiring Lab (posted wages), May 2026)
• US employers plan average base salary merit increases of 3.2% and total salary increases of 3.5% for 2027, in Mercer's July 2026 survey of 1,001 US organisations. (Mercer (US Compensation Planning Survey, July 2026), Aug 2026)
• US employers in Mercer's survey expect to promote about 8.4% of their workforce in 2027, down from 8.6% in 2026 and 9.9% in 2025. (Mercer (US Compensation Planning Survey, July 2026), Aug 2026)
• 64% of US organisations in Mercer's survey have provided or will provide off-cycle salary adjustments. (Mercer (US Compensation Planning Survey, July 2026), Aug 2026)

The Employment Cost Index tracks the change in employers' labour costs. Employer Costs for Employee Compensation gives the level of cost per hour worked, not take-home pay. The ONS figure is growth in average weekly earnings of employees over a three-month period. Indeed's figure is pay advertised on its own platform, not pay received. Mercer's figures are employers' plans for 2027 from its own survey. None of these can be compared directly.

How big is the gender pay gap?

It depends on the measure, and no two producers here use the same one. The UK, EU, US and Australian headline figures all show men ahead, and in the UK the gap widens with age.

View data table

UK gender pay gap for full-time employees by age group, April 2026. The 22 to 29 age group is not shown.

Period	Value
18 to 21	0.3%
30 to 39	4.1%
40 to 49	8.2%
50 to 59	11.0%
60 and over	11.2%

• The UK gender pay gap for full-time employees was 6.8% in April 2026, down from 7.2% in April 2025. (ONS (Gender pay gap in the UK), Oct 2026)
• Among all UK employees, full-time and part-time, the gender pay gap was 12.3% in April 2026, against 13.0% in April 2025. (ONS (Gender pay gap in the UK), Oct 2026)
• The UK full-time gender pay gap in April 2026 was 4.1% for employees aged 30 to 39 and 8.2% for those aged 40 to 49. (ONS (Gender pay gap in the UK), Oct 2026)
• Median weekly earnings of all US full-time wage and salary workers were $1,232 in the third quarter of 2026. (BLS (Usual Weekly Earnings, CPS), Oct 2026)
• By race and ethnicity, US median weekly earnings of full-time workers in the third quarter of 2026 were $1,633 for Asian workers, $1,261 for White workers, $1,012 for Black workers and $981 for Hispanic workers. (BLS (Usual Weekly Earnings, CPS), Oct 2026)
• US full-time workers aged 25 and over with a bachelor's degree or more had median weekly earnings of $1,752 in the third quarter of 2026, against $993 for high school graduates with no college and $819 for those without a high school diploma. (BLS (Usual Weekly Earnings, CPS), Oct 2026)
• The average unadjusted gender pay gap in the EU was 11.1% in 2024. (Eurostat (Gender pay gap statistics), Feb 2026)
• Among EU countries in 2024, Eurostat says Estonia recorded the highest gender pay gap (18.8%) and Luxembourg the lowest (-0.8%). (Eurostat (Gender pay gap statistics), Feb 2026)
• Australia's national gender pay gap was 11.5% as of November 2025: women working full-time earned $247.20 less than men each week on average, in Australian dollars. (WGEA (ABS gender pay gap data), Feb 2026)

These measures are not comparable. The ONS gap is the difference in median hourly earnings excluding overtime. Eurostat's is the unadjusted gap in average gross hourly earnings. The BLS figure is a ratio of median weekly earnings of full-time workers. The Australian figure is based on average weekly ordinary time earnings of full-time adults. None of them measures unequal pay for the same job.

How many people work in HR, and what are they paid?

HR is a large and mostly female occupation in the US. BLS counts more than 900,000 HR specialist jobs, and about four in five HR managers are women.

1. 1 Human resources managers 79.6%
2. 2 Human resources workers 78.3%
3. 3 Compensation, benefits and job analysis specialists 61.4%
4. 4 Training and development managers 56.2%
5. 5 Training and development specialists 54.4%

• Employment of US human resources managers is projected to grow 6% from 2025 to 2035, with about 16,800 openings a year. (BLS (Occupational Outlook Handbook), Oct 2026)
• The US had 939,700 human resources specialist jobs in 2025, with median pay of $75,940 a year. (BLS (Occupational Outlook Handbook), Oct 2026)
• BLS projects 60,100 more US human resources specialist jobs from 2025 to 2035, with about 73,700 openings a year. (BLS (Occupational Outlook Handbook), Oct 2026)
• US training and development managers held 50,200 jobs in 2025 with median pay of $133,000 a year; BLS projects 6% growth from 2025 to 2035 and about 4,100 openings a year. (BLS (Occupational Outlook Handbook), Aug 2026)
• US compensation and benefits managers held 23,700 jobs in 2025 with median pay of $149,230 a year and projected growth of 1% from 2025 to 2035. (BLS (Occupational Outlook Handbook), Oct 2026)
• 79.6% of the 314,000 people employed as human resources managers in the US in 2025 were women, on the household survey count. (BLS (CPS Table 11), 2026)
• Women were 78.3% of the 897,000 people employed as human resources workers in the US in 2025. (BLS (CPS Table 11), 2026)

The Occupational Outlook Handbook counts jobs, and its outlook figures are BLS projections for 2025 to 2035. The Current Population Survey counts employed people from a household survey and codes occupations differently, so the two sets of counts differ and should not be added or compared.

How many workplace discrimination charges are filed in the US?

Close to ninety thousand a year at the EEOC, and retaliation is alleged in most of them. A charge is an allegation filed with the agency, not a finding, and most resolutions end without a finding of reasonable cause.

1. 1 Retaliation (all statutes) 54,350
2. 2 Disability 36,256
3. 3 Race 29,338
4. 4 Sex 26,941
5. 5 Age 16,353
6. 6 National origin 7,856
7. 7 Color 6,738
8. 8 Religion 3,710
9. 9 Pregnant Workers Fairness Act 3,448
10. 10 Equal Pay Act 928
11. 11 Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act 449

• EEOC charge receipts were 89,385 in fiscal year 2015, 61,331 in fiscal year 2021 and 81,055 in fiscal year 2023. (EEOC (Table E1a, charges by basis), Apr 2026)
• Retaliation was alleged in 54,350 EEOC charges in fiscal year 2025 (61.6% of all charges), against 42,301 (47.8%) in fiscal year 2024. (EEOC (Table E1a, charges by basis), Apr 2026)
• Disability was alleged in 41.1% of EEOC charges in fiscal year 2025, race in 33.3%, sex in 30.5% and age in 18.5%. (EEOC (Table E1a, charges by basis), Apr 2026)
• National origin was alleged in 8.9% of EEOC charges in fiscal year 2025, color in 7.6%, religion in 4.2%, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act in 3.9%, the Equal Pay Act in 1.1% and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act in 0.5%. (EEOC (Table E1a, charges by basis), Apr 2026)
• Of 90,744 EEOC charge resolutions in fiscal year 2025, 57,500 (63.4%) ended in a "no reasonable cause" finding and 2,314 (2.6%) in a "reasonable cause" finding. (EEOC (Table E1c, resolutions), Mar 2026)
• 15,869 EEOC charge resolutions in fiscal year 2025 (17.5%) were merit resolutions. (EEOC (Table E1c, resolutions), Mar 2026)
• Through its administrative process, which excludes litigation, the EEOC obtained $528 million in monetary benefits for charging parties in fiscal year 2025, against $469.6 million in fiscal year 2024 and $440.5 million in fiscal year 2023. (EEOC (Table E1c, resolutions), Mar 2026)
• The EEOC filed 94 merits lawsuits in fiscal year 2025, against 111 in fiscal year 2024 and 143 in fiscal year 2023. (EEOC (Table L1, litigation), Mar 2026)
• The EEOC recovered $26.64 million through its own litigation in fiscal year 2025. (EEOC (Table L1, litigation), Mar 2026)
• Counting every route, the EEOC reports securing $660 million for 17,680 people in fiscal year 2025, among them 2,505 individuals who received money as a result of litigation. (EEOC (FY 2025 results release), Apr 2026)

All figures are for charges filed with the EEOC and exclude charges filed with state or local agencies. A charge is an allegation, not a finding, and one charge can allege several bases. The two money totals are different measures: the $528 million covers the EEOC's administrative process only, while the $660 million is the agency's own total across all routes and sectors, litigation included. They should not be added together or set side by side as equals.

How common is workplace harassment?

There is no single count. Harassment charges filed with the US EEOC have risen every year since 2021, and a global survey found that more than one in five people in employment had experienced violence or harassment at work.

View data table

Charges alleging harassment received by the US EEOC, fiscal years 2015-2025, all statutes. Charges are allegations filed, not findings.

Period	Value
2015	27,893
2016	28,216
2017	26,978
2018	26,699
2019	26,221
2020	24,221
2021	21,270
2022	24,430
2023	31,354
2024	35,774
2025	37,397

• Harassment charge receipts at the EEOC were 27,893 in fiscal year 2015, 21,270 in fiscal year 2021, 24,430 in fiscal year 2022 and 31,354 in fiscal year 2023. (EEOC (Table E2a, harassment charges), Mar 2026)
• Monetary benefits obtained by the EEOC on charges alleging harassment were $261.9 million in fiscal year 2025, against $211.8 million in fiscal year 2024, through the administrative process and excluding litigation. (EEOC (Table E2a, harassment charges), Mar 2026)
• The EEOC received 8,475 Title VII sexual harassment charges in fiscal year 2025, against 8,474 in fiscal year 2024 and 5,581 in fiscal year 2021. (EEOC (Table E2c, sexual harassment charges), Mar 2026)
• The EEOC obtained $86.12 million in monetary benefits on Title VII sexual harassment charges outside litigation in fiscal year 2025. (EEOC (Table E2c, sexual harassment charges), Mar 2026)
• Worldwide, 22.8% of persons in employment, or 743 million, had experienced at least one form of violence and harassment at work during their working life, in a 2021 survey of 121 countries. (ILO (violence and harassment at work survey), Dec 2022)
• By form, 17.9% of persons in employment worldwide (583 million) had experienced psychological violence and harassment at work in their working life, 8.5% (277 million) physical and 6.3% (205 million) sexual. (ILO (violence and harassment at work survey), Dec 2022)

EEOC figures count charges filed with the agency, which are allegations and not findings, and cover harassment alleged on any basis. The survey by the ILO, Lloyd's Register Foundation and Gallup measures self-reported experience over a working life among people in employment, and its three forms overlap. The two sources cannot be compared.

How widespread is work-related stress?

Stress, depression or anxiety accounts for about half of all work-related ill health in Great Britain, on workers' own reports. In the US, fewer employed adults rated their mental health as good or excellent in 2026 than in 2025.

1. 1 Public administration and defence 3,470
2. 2 Human health and social work 2,830
3. 3 Education 2,620

• 16% of working-age adults worldwide were estimated to have a mental disorder in 2023. (WHO (Mental health at work fact sheet), Sep 2026)
• An estimated 12 billion working days are lost worldwide every year to depression and anxiety, at a cost of US$1 trillion a year in lost productivity. (WHO (Mental health at work fact sheet), Sep 2026)
• 1.9 million working people in Great Britain were suffering from a work-related illness in 2024/25. (HSE (health and safety statistics overview), Nov 2025)
• 40.1 million working days were lost in Great Britain to work-related illness and workplace injury in 2024/25. (HSE (health and safety statistics overview), Nov 2025)
• 409,000 of the cases of work-related stress, depression or anxiety in Great Britain in 2024/25 were new cases. (HSE (work-related stress statistics 2025), Nov 2025)
• Work-related stress, depression or anxiety resulted in an estimated 22.1 million working days lost in Great Britain in 2024/25, an average of 22.9 days lost per case. (HSE (work-related stress statistics 2025), Nov 2025)
• Stress, depression or anxiety accounted for 52% of all work-related ill health and 62% of all working days lost due to work-related ill health in Great Britain in 2024/25. (HSE (work-related stress statistics 2025), Nov 2025)
• By occupation in Great Britain, associate professional occupations had a rate of 3,020 cases of work-related stress, depression or anxiety per 100,000 workers and professional occupations 2,730, on a three-year average for 2022/23-2024/25. (HSE (work-related stress statistics 2025), Nov 2025)
• Females in Great Britain had a rate of work-related stress, depression or anxiety of 3,220 per 100,000 workers and males 1,980, against 2,580 for all workers, on a three-year average. (HSE (work-related stress statistics 2025), Nov 2025)
• Workload was the main cause of work-related stress, depression or anxiety in workers' self-reports in Great Britain, in particular tight deadlines, too much work or too much pressure or responsibility; lack of managerial support, violence and bullying, organisational changes at work and role uncertainty followed. (HSE (work-related stress statistics 2025), Nov 2025)
• 37% of employed US adults said in 2026 that their work environment negatively affected their mental health, against 32% in 2025. (APA (Work in America 2026), 2026)
• 73% of employed US adults rated their mental health as good or excellent in 2026, compared with 77% in 2025 and 81% in 2022. (APA (Work in America 2026), 2026)
• 95% of employed US adults said in 2026 that it is important to them to work for an organisation that values their emotional and psychological well-being. (APA (Work in America 2026), 2026)
• 80% of employed US adults described their workplace as healthy in 2026 (85% in 2025), and 80% reported feeling valued at work (84% in 2025). (APA (Work in America 2026), 2026)

WHO figures are global estimates and cover depression and anxiety from all causes. HSE figures are for Great Britain, self-reported in the Labour Force Survey, for the years stated. APA figures come from an online survey of employed US adults carried out by The Harris Poll from 21 May to 1 June 2026. The shares are given as each producer words them and do not show cause and effect.

How is AI being used in HR and hiring?

Slowly inside HR teams, faster among workers. About one in six UK organisations uses AI to screen candidates, while daily AI use among employed US adults has more than doubled in two years.

View data table

Share of employed US adults who use AI tools daily to assist their work, 2024-2026, in the APA's Work in America survey.

Period	Value
2024	10%
2025	16%
2026	24%

• 16% of UK organisations used AI to write job descriptions and 16% to screen candidates in 2026, in the CIPD's survey of UK HR and people professionals. (CIPD (Resourcing and talent planning 2026), 2026)
• 27% of UK organisations that tried to recruit said candidates made "excessive" use of generative AI in applications. (CIPD (Resourcing and talent planning 2026), 2026)
• 35% of UK employers try to monitor candidates' use of generative AI, and 75% of those have rejected candidates for using AI. (CIPD (Resourcing and talent planning 2026), 2026)
• 75% of UK people professionals have received no training to apply AI in their job role; 21% use AI tools daily in their job, 32% weekly, and 22% say they have never used AI tools as part of their job. (CIPD (HR pulse report 2026), Oct 2026)
• 38% of UK people professionals in the CIPD's HR pulse survey say AI is a core part of their people strategy. (CIPD (HR pulse report 2026), Oct 2026)
• 70% of US organisations in Mercer's July 2026 survey report at least some automation in compensation planning, while 1% say they have reached advanced levels of transformation. (Mercer (US Compensation Planning Survey, July 2026), Aug 2026)
• 39.3% of US workers in The Conference Board's 2026 survey said use of advanced AI tools improved their job satisfaction, and 6.7% said AI use reduced it. (The Conference Board (Job Satisfaction 2026), Jun 2026)
• US adults opposed the use of AI in making final hiring decisions by 71% to 7%, in a 2022 Pew Research Center survey published in 2023. (Pew Research Center (AI in hiring), Apr 2023)
• 41% of US adults opposed AI being used to review job applications, and 66% said they would not want to apply for a job with an employer that uses AI to help make hiring decisions. (Pew Research Center (AI in hiring), Apr 2023)
• 52% of employed US adults said in October 2024 that they feel worried about how AI may be used in the workplace in the future, and 36% that they feel hopeful. (Pew Research Center (workers and AI), Feb 2025)
• 32% of employed US adults said in October 2024 that AI will lead to fewer job opportunities for them in the long run. (Pew Research Center (workers and AI), Feb 2025)
• 16% of employed US adults said in October 2024 that at least some of their work is currently done with AI, while 63% said they do not use AI much or at all in their job. (Pew Research Center (workers and AI), Feb 2025)
• 40% of employers surveyed worldwide plan to reduce staff as their skills become less relevant over 2025-2030, and 41% expect to downsize their workforce where AI can replicate people's work. (World Economic Forum (Future of Jobs Report 2025), Jan 2025)
• Between December 2025 and May 2026, the share of US businesses using AI in any business function in the past two weeks was between 17% and 20%. (US Census Bureau (Business Trends and Outlook Survey), May 2026)
• 37% of US firms with at least 250 employees reported using AI; in the period ending 3 May 2026 the rate was 39.7% in the information sector and 33.9% in finance and insurance. (US Census Bureau (Business Trends and Outlook Survey), May 2026)

Who was asked differs by source. The CIPD surveys UK HR and people professionals; its AI-use figures for people professionals come from a subsample of a different CIPD survey from its 38% figure. The APA and Pew figures are for employed US adults, except the Pew hiring survey, which covers all US adults. Mercer and the Census Bureau survey US organisations and businesses, and the Census figures cover AI in any business function, not HR alone. World Economic Forum figures are employers' expectations to 2030, not outcomes. The APA and Pew questions about AI use differ and should not be merged.

What benefits and training do employers provide?

Most US private industry workers are offered paid leave and a retirement plan, but part-time workers are far less likely than full-time workers to be offered medical cover. Benefits make up about three in ten dollars of private employers' compensation costs.

1. 1 Paid sick leave 81%
2. 2 Paid holidays 81%
3. 3 Paid vacation 80%
4. 4 Retirement benefits 72%
5. 5 Medical care 71%
6. 6 Paid personal leave 51%

• Retirement benefits were available to 72% of US private industry workers in March 2026. (BLS (Employee Benefits, NCS), Sep 2026)
• 89% of full-time US civilian workers had access to employer medical care benefits in March 2026, against 23% of part-time workers. (BLS (Employee Benefits, NCS), Sep 2026)
• Benefits accounted for 30.0% of employer compensation costs in US private industry in June 2026, or $14.07 of $46.89 per hour worked. (BLS (Employer Costs for Employee Compensation), Sep 2026)
• In US state and local government, benefits accounted for 38.8% of employer compensation costs in June 2026, or $25.78 of $66.45 per hour worked. (BLS (Employer Costs for Employee Compensation), Sep 2026)

BLS access figures come from the National Compensation Survey and show the share of workers offered a benefit. Compensation cost figures are employer costs per hour worked.

How many layoffs and job cuts are there?

Announced US job cuts in 2026 are running well below 2025, while the official layoff rate has changed little. Worry about losing a job has risen all the same.

1. 1 Technology 171,501
2. 2 Transportation 44,838
3. 3 Food 39,370
4. 4 Health care/products 37,737
5. 5 Services 35,542

• US layoffs and discharges were 1.6 million in September 2026, a rate of 1.0% of employment. (BLS (JOLTS news release), Nov 2026)
• US-based employers announced 43,994 job cuts in October 2026, up 2% from 43,281 in September and down 71% from 153,074 in October 2025. (Challenger, Gray & Christmas (October 2026 report), Nov 2026)
• Artificial intelligence was cited as the reason for 121,401 announced US job cuts in January to October 2026, about 20% of all announced cuts. (Challenger, Gray & Christmas (October 2026 report), Nov 2026)
• Since Challenger began tracking AI as a reason in 2023, it has been cited in 193,226 announced US job cuts. (Challenger, Gray & Christmas (October 2026 report), Nov 2026)
• Technology led all US industries with 171,501 announced job cuts in January to October 2026, 28% of all announced cuts. (Challenger, Gray & Christmas (October 2026 report), Nov 2026)
• Announced job cuts in US government were down 93% to 23,049 in January to October 2026. (Challenger, Gray & Christmas (October 2026 report), Nov 2026)
• 21% of UK employers planned to make redundancies in the three months to September 2026, and 23% of public sector employers. (CIPD (Labour Market Outlook, summer 2026), Aug 2026)
• 27% of UK organisations surveyed by the CIPD in April 2026 had made redundancies, up from 17% in 2024. (CIPD (Resourcing and talent planning 2026), 2026)
• 32% of employed US adults reported concern in 2026 about losing their job within the next few weeks or months, up from 26% in 2025. (APA (Work in America 2026), 2026)
• 44% of employed US adults were concerned in 2026 that an economic slump, downturn or recession could result in them being laid off, furloughed or losing their job within the next 12 months. (APA (Work in America 2026), 2026)
• 81% of employed US adults were confident in 2026 that they could find another job if necessary (82% in 2025), and 71% were confident they could find a new job with the same or better pay. (APA (Work in America 2026), 2026)
• Employers surveyed worldwide expect 170 million jobs to be created (14% of today's total employment) and 92 million displaced (8%) between 2025 and 2030, a net growth of 78 million jobs (7%), in a projection published in January 2025. (World Economic Forum (Future of Jobs Report 2025), Jan 2025)

Challenger, Gray & Christmas counts job cuts that US-based employers announce, with the reason each employer gave. These are announced plans, not layoffs carried out, and are not comparable with the BLS count of layoffs and discharges. The CIPD figures are shares of UK employers, not of jobs. The World Economic Forum figure is a projection built from an employer survey, not a count of jobs.

Methodology and sources

Every figure on this page comes from a primary source that was opened and checked: the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the US Census Bureau, the Office for National Statistics, the Health and Safety Executive, the Ministry of Justice, Acas, Eurostat, the WHO, the ILO, Safe Work Australia, the Workplace Gender Equality Agency, the CIPD, SHRM, the American Psychological Association, Pew Research Center, The Conference Board, the World Economic Forum, NACE, ManpowerGroup, Mercer, Indeed Hiring Lab, Challenger, Gray & Christmas and Training magazine. Figures are quoted as published, with the country, population and period. BLS figures are labelled by programme, because JOLTS, the Current Population Survey, the National Compensation Survey and the Occupational Outlook Handbook count different things. Measures from different producers are kept apart: actual quits are separate from stated intent to leave; the EEOC's administrative totals are separate from its total across all routes; charge counts are separate from survey prevalence; the four gender pay gap figures use four definitions; the APA and Conference Board job satisfaction questions are separate; and announced job cuts are separate from official layoffs. Company surveys and platform data are labelled as the company's own, and projections are attributed to the body that made them. Left out: a ManpowerGroup breakdown by company size and industry that could not be verified, table values that could not be matched to a quoted source line, HSE rates where the quoted line prints more than one rate for the same group, one BLS benefit category whose wording changed between editions, and direct links to EEOC spreadsheet files. Engagement scores, remote work and employee monitoring are outside the scope of this page. Older sources carry their year. The page is reviewed monthly and figures are replaced when a producer publishes a new release.

• Acas (Annual Report 2025-26) · Jul 2026
• APA (Work in America 2026) · 2026
• BLS (CPS Table 11) · 2026
• BLS (Employee Benefits, NCS) · Sep 2026
• BLS (Employee Tenure, CPS) · Sep 2026
• BLS (Employer Costs for Employee Compensation) · Sep 2026
• BLS (Employment Cost Index) · Oct 2026
• BLS (JOLTS news release) · Nov 2026
• BLS (JOLTS Table 16) · 2026
• BLS (JOLTS Table 18) · 2026
• BLS (JOLTS Table 20) · 2026
• BLS (JOLTS Table 22) · 2026
• BLS (JOLTS Table 4) · Nov 2026
• BLS (Occupational Outlook Handbook) · Oct 2026
• BLS (Occupational Outlook Handbook) · Oct 2026
• BLS (Occupational Outlook Handbook) · Aug 2026
• BLS (Occupational Outlook Handbook) · Oct 2026
• BLS (Usual Weekly Earnings, CPS) · Oct 2026
• Challenger, Gray & Christmas (October 2026 report) · Nov 2026
• CIPD (HR pulse report 2026) · Oct 2026
• CIPD (Labour Market Outlook, summer 2026) · Aug 2026
• CIPD (Resourcing and talent planning 2026) · 2026
• EEOC (FY 2025 results release) · Apr 2026
• EEOC (Table E2a, harassment charges) · Mar 2026
• Eurostat (Gender pay gap statistics) · Feb 2026
• Eurostat (Job vacancy statistics) · Sep 2026
• HSE (health and safety statistics overview) · Nov 2025
• HSE (work-related stress statistics 2025) · Nov 2025
• ILO (violence and harassment at work survey) · Dec 2022
• Indeed Hiring Lab (posted wages) · May 2026
• ManpowerGroup (2026 US Talent Shortage Survey) · 2026
• Mercer (US Compensation Planning Survey, July 2026) · Aug 2026
• Ministry of Justice (Tribunal Statistics Quarterly) · 2026
• NACE (Job Outlook 2026 Spring Update) · Apr 2026
• ONS (Gender pay gap in the UK) · Oct 2026
• ONS (Labour market overview) · Oct 2026
• ONS (Sickness absence 2025) · May 2026
• Pew Research Center (AI in hiring) · Apr 2023
• Pew Research Center (workers and AI) · Feb 2025
• Safe Work Australia (WHS statistics 2026) · Oct 2026
• SHRM (2025 recruiting benchmarking) · 2025
• The Conference Board (Job Satisfaction 2026) · Jun 2026
• Training magazine (2025 Training Industry Report) · Nov 2025
• US Census Bureau (Business Trends and Outlook Survey) · May 2026
• WGEA (ABS gender pay gap data) · Feb 2026
• WHO (Mental health at work fact sheet) · Sep 2026
• World Economic Forum (Future of Jobs Report 2025) · Jan 2025