Mid-market firms lead Q2 hiring surge as 'mega-employers' retreat

ManpowerGroup shows 41% hiring outlook for mid-sized firms, up 20 points year-on-year.

Companies with 250 to 999 employees recorded the highest Net Employment Outlook (NEO) at 41% for the second quarter of 2026 (Q2 2026), up 20 points from the same period last year, according to the latest ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey.

Mid-sized firms with 50 to 249 employees reported an NEO of 38%, up 19 points, whilst companies with 10 to 49 employees had 13%, up 15 points.

Firms with 1,000 to 4,999 employees posted 18%, up 10 points.

The smallest companies, with fewer than 10 employees, recorded 4%, down five points, and the largest employers, with over 5,000 employees, had 3%, down four points from last year.

The chart shows hiring intentions across company sizes for Q2 2026 with the NEO measuring the percentage of employers planning to hire minus the percentage planning to reduce staff.

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Manpower Group

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