Layoffresets,reskillingandequilibriumamong2026USlabormarketpredictions

“2026 won’t be defined by a hiring boom or a bust but by more balance,” HireQuest’s CEO said.

After a year of mass layoffs and uncertainty, 2026 could stabilize hiring trends and bring equilibrium to the U.S. labor market, according to a Nov. 18 report from HireQuest.

In particular, the job market appears to be stabilizing around skills-based hiring, the report found. In addition, late 2025 layoffs could reset — but not reverse — the market, as well as spur employee reskilling and contract-based hiring.

“2026 won’t be defined by a hiring boom or a bust but by more balance,” Rick Hermanns, president and CEO of HireQuest, said in a statement. “We’re seeing a labor market that’s stabilizing around new priorities: flexibility, fit and the kind of skilled work that can’t be automated.”

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