According to the latest Tech Talent Outlook from Experis, part of the ManpowerGroup family of brands, global technology hiring is entering a phase of deliberate and skills-focused expansion for Q3 2026. Despite half of the more than 4,000 Tech & IT Services employers surveyed in 42 countries planning to expand their staffing levels, generating an overall positive global NEO of 35%, the numbers show a slowdown of seven percentage points from the previous quarter, reflecting the slowing momentum compared to a robust Q2. In light of this trend, companies are focusing intensely on the combination of both technical and social skills as opposed to headcount expansion. AI modeling, application development, and AI literacy were identified as the key skills that will be needed technically, whereas communication, teamwork, and collaboration emerged as the most important human skills.
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To overcome the challenge of lack of talent, 95% of firms are undertaking measures to mitigate, with upskilling or reskilling existing employees as well as wage premiums being among the top two strategies used. Regionally, there is a wide divergence in tech employment prospects, with Puerto Rico (68%), Brazil (53%), and the UK (51%) taking the lead, whereas the US boasts a tech NEO of 47%. Explaining this underlying market dynamic, Kye Mitchell, President of Experis U.S., stated: “The Q3 data reflects a tech labor market that is being deliberate, not retreating, with global hiring intentions virtually unchanged from a year ago. 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.”
