Over a Third of UK Employers Plan to Increase Permanent Hiring Before Year-End
The News
More than a third of UK employers (34%) plan to expand their permanent headcounts before the end of 2026, while 25% plan to increase contract hiring and 24% intend to expand project-based hiring, according to research from Robert Half published 17 August. The survey of 500 UK hiring managers, conducted in May 2026 by an independent research firm, found that 47% of technology and IT employers plan to increase permanent hiring — the highest of any professional field — followed by finance and accounting at 38%. Twenty-six percent expect greater competition for highly skilled talent. Six in ten SMEs and 64% of large organisations say training, upskilling, and reskilling are key strategies for addressing workforce challenges, while 36% plan to redesign roles and ways of working.
Why It Matters
This is the first forward-looking survey to show UK employers planning net permanent hiring growth after 45 consecutive months of declining placements (per the KPMG and REC Report on Jobs). For TA leaders, the 47% tech hiring figure and the 26% competition-for-talent figure point to a market tightening in precisely the skill areas where it is already hardest to hire. The emphasis on upskilling (60% of SMEs) signals that internal mobility budgets will compete with external recruitment for the same pot — and that the TA team's relationship with L&D will determine whether open reqs get filled internally or externally.
Taking Action
All action is situated in your corporate context. These are starting points, not prescriptions — choose what fits.
Connect
Who to talk with in your enterprise
Your CFO: share the 34% permanent hiring intention figure and start the 2027 recruitment budget conversation now — if the survey is right, your pipeline needs to be deeper by Q4, not Q1.
Your head of L&D: the 60% upskilling figure means your training team will be competing for budget alongside external hiring. Align on which roles you will buy versus build before you are both in the same budget meeting.
Inspect
What to take a closer look at
Compare your current open req count against the same period last year. If your hiring managers' intentions match the survey's 34% figure, check whether your recruiter capacity matches the demand — or whether you are planning to rebuild it with AI tooling instead of headcount.
Reflect
What to think about more deeply
After nearly four years of contraction, UK employers are finally ready to hire again. Do you still have the recruiter capacity you shed during the downturn — or are you betting that AI will fill the gap?