2026 Employment and Salary Report

Salary trends, talent attraction and retention strategies

Following the post-COVID recovery, momentum softened through 2023, with uncertainty emerging in late 2024 and conditions proving challenging across many industries. In 2025, hiring conditions shifted, job seeker confidence eased, and employers faced increasing cost pressures while continuing to compete for the right talent.

As we move into 2026, global uncertainty remains high. Concurrently, artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping the world of work, influencing how we operate, how we learn, and the skills organisations will require in the future. Alongside technological change, shifts in workforce expectations and ways of working are creating disruption and opportunity. Organisations now face a clear choice: adapt to these changes, or succumb to the inevitable shifts shaping the workforce.

This report explores these dynamics, examining recruitment trends, evolving job seeker expectations, and remuneration insights to support informed, future-focused hiring decisions.