Companies are planning their hiring more cautiously and with less optimism than a year ago. According to the Labour Market Barometer 2026 by Gi Group Holding, 13.7% of businesses intend to increase headcount in the coming quarter, while 9.8% plan reductions. At the same time, nearly half of organizations report difficulties in recruiting at least one group of employees.
New Jobs Mainly in Trade and Services, Cuts in the Public Sector
Businesses are approaching workforce planning even more cautiously than last year. The share of companies planning to increase employment has declined to 13.7%, down from 16.7% a year earlier. At the same time, the proportion of firms expecting layoffs has doubled—from 4.9% to 9.8%—reaching its highest level since 2017. As in previous years, the most common scenario remains maintaining current employment levels, indicated by 72.2% of companies, although this figure has also slightly declined year-on-year.
“Companies are making HR decisions with greater caution, focusing on operational efficiency, cost optimization, and business continuity. They are less likely to expand teams and more willing to consider layoffs or hiring freezes. In practice, this means a stronger focus on key roles, organizational changes, and more frequent internal mobility,” said Marcos Segador Arrebola, Managing Director of Gi Group Holding.
Employment growth is most often planned by companies in trade (19%) and services (15%), while the figure is significantly lower in manufacturing (11%). In this sector, stabilization dominates—78% of companies intend to maintain current staffing levels, although a relatively large share still plans active recruitment, which may indicate higher employee turnover and the need to continuously fill vacancies. The public sector stands out, with only 7% of organizations planning to increase employment, while 13% anticipate job cuts.
Medium-sized and large companies show the highest readiness to hire, at 14% and 16% respectively. However, both figures represent a decline compared to last year, when such plans were declared by 20% of medium-sized and 19% of large organizations. Smaller companies, in contrast, are more focused on maintaining current employment levels and are more cautious about new hiring.
Who Are Companies Looking to Hire?
Companies planning to expand their workforce will primarily focus on recruiting mid-level (57.8%) and lower-level employees (44.8%). Notably, interest in hiring senior management has increased significantly—over 16% of companies now plan such recruitment, compared to 11.8% a year ago and just 7% two years ago.
“In recent years, we have seen a clear shift in recruitment structure. Companies are no longer primarily seeking entry-level employees but rather mid-level staff, which may reflect the growing impact of automation on operational processes and the increasing importance of specialized and coordination skills. At the same time, the rising demand for senior executives highlights a shift toward roles with greater influence on strategy, development, and performance,” said Paweł Prociak, Managing Director of Wyser Executive Search.
According to the report, mid-level employees will be most sought after by small (65%) and medium-sized (60%) companies, particularly in services and transport and logistics (both 64%). Lower-level positions will mainly be filled by large companies (58%), especially in the public sector (53%) and transport and logistics (50%). Senior management roles will most often be targeted by medium-sized (17%) and small firms (16%), particularly in trade (24%) and transport and logistics (19%).
“As new technologies are implemented, the required skill profiles are changing. There is increasing demand for the ability to combine digital competencies with analytical and business thinking. Companies are looking for individuals who can work with data, quickly learn new tools, and effectively use technology to improve processes. At the same time, soft skills such as flexibility, communication, independence, and a willingness to learn are becoming increasingly important,” explained Ewa Michalska, Operations Director at Grafton Recruitment.
Recruitment Remains Challenging
Despite limited hiring plans, 45.7% of companies report difficulties in recruiting at least one group of employees in recent months. This indicates that talent acquisition challenges remain significant, although slightly less pronounced than a year ago.
Employers most frequently point to difficulties in hiring highly qualified senior staff (14.3%). Slightly fewer report issues with lower-level employees or recruitment across all job levels (both over 12%). One in ten companies struggles to find mid-level employees.
Recruitment challenges are most common among medium-sized companies, particularly in trade. Small firms more often report difficulties in hiring senior staff, while large organizations struggle more with lower-level positions.
The most frequently cited reason for recruitment difficulties is excessively high salary expectations among candidates, mentioned by over 50% of companies facing hiring challenges. Other key factors include mismatched or insufficient skills (44.6%), candidate dropouts during the recruitment process (35.2%), and a lack of candidates (33.5%).
“Market data and observations show that challenges related to wage pressure, skill mismatches, and candidate withdrawals have intensified over the past year. As a result, the hiring process has become more demanding and less predictable than before,” said Grzegorz Gojny, Operations Director at Gi Group.
High salary expectations affect companies of all sizes, though they are reported slightly more often by medium and large enterprises, as well as manufacturing firms (58%). Skill mismatches are also widespread across industries, with the public sector being a partial exception (35%). Candidate dropouts are less common in large companies but more frequently reported in services and transport and logistics. Candidate shortages are most often experienced by medium-sized firms (40%) and the public sector (43%). Issues such as inconvenient location and difficult working conditions are more frequently reported by smaller companies, especially in services and trade, while dissatisfaction with working models is more often cited by large enterprises and the transport and logistics sector.
“Recruitment is increasingly becoming a tool for the precise supplementation of competency resources. In the context of technological change, cost pressure, and an uncertain business environment, the importance of a strategic approach to team building and investment in employee development is growing. These areas are becoming a key factor in companies’ competitiveness,” concluded Grzegorz Gojny.
About the Report
The Labour Market Barometer 2026 is the 20th edition of the report, prepared annually since 2014 by experts at Gi Group Holding. It is based on research conducted by SW Research using CATI methodology among employers (February 25 – March 9, 2026) and CAWI methodology among employees (February 23 – March 3, 2026).
