From the emergence of Millennial leadership in the C-suite to a growing focus on workplace flexibility, the job market is undergoing major shifts. Understanding these trends and what they mean for future opportunities is crucial to keeping your career on track.
While hiring has cooled since the pandemic peak, it remains steady overall. According to Robert Half’s 2025 Workplace Trends report, six in 10 managers still expect their organizations to add permanent jobs this year.
Hiring rates in several industries remain well below pre-pandemic levels, notably in construction and manufacturing. In contrast, health care & social assistance and leisure & hospitality have posted strong employment gains this year. If these industries run out of steam, the lack of broad-based employment growth could become a concern.
Posted wage growth has stabilized across low-, middle-, and high-wage segments. Pent-up demand for post-pandemic spending still has some gas left in the tank, boosting lower-wage sectors like retail and food services while higher-wage sectors continue to gain momentum.
Employers are expected to prioritize digital and tech-related skills. This includes data science and analytics, fintech / blockchain / cryptocurrency specialists, AI / machine learning specialists, and software and application developers. In addition, a focus on sustainability and climate change mitigation is likely to drive demand for roles such as renewable energy engineers, environmental engineers, and electric and autonomous vehicle specialists, all of which appear in our top 15 fastest-growing jobs list. These trends are set to shape and transform jobs, business models, and workforces over the next five years.