Will the Job Market Improve in 2026?

As a new year begins, many job seekers (or professionals hoping to make a job or career change) are eager to know what to expect in 2026. Here’s a brief compilation of what job market experts are anticipating.

JPMorgan’s 2026 labor market outlook, authored by Chief U.S. Economist Michael Feroli, predicts an “uncomfortably slow” start to the year as business uncertainty and policy-driven labor supply constraints weigh on hiring. With unemployment expected to peak at 4.5% in early 2026, the forecast anticipates a job market revival in the second half of the year as the stimulative effects of Federal Reserve rate cuts and new fiscal supports, such as tax cuts, begin to take hold.

Many job search experts from organizations like Glass Door and ZipRecruiter believe that the “Great Freeze” of the 2025 job market will thaw in the coming year. Read their predictions in this piece from Business Insider.

You might also want to check out Indeed’s 2026 US Jobs & Hiring Trends Report for a deeper dive into different career sectors and hiring predictions for the coming year.