2025 US Hiring Plans and Challenges

Hiring is projected to accelerate, with more companies planning to expand their teams in the first half of 2025 compared with last year. But this demand for skilled talent at a time of low unemployment and increasing job openings suggests that recruiting could become more competitive than it already is.

These challenging market conditions can complicate the business goals of many employers. Companies that fail to bring in skilled talent put critical projects in jeopardy and risk increased employee burnout and turnover. This can create a costly cycle where each departure puts more strain on the remaining team members and jeopardizes these firms’ strategic growth plans.

A Robert Half survey of more than 1,600 business leaders shows that nearly all plan to hire for new or vacated positions in the first half of 2025, citing company growth, new projects and turnover as their top drivers for recruitment. However, 91% recognize it will be a competitive hiring environment, noting that finding skilled talent is a challenge.

of employers are hiring for new permanent positions. of employers are hiring for new permanent positions.

are hiring only for vacated permanent positions. are hiring only for vacated permanent positions.

Many businesses of all sizes plan to expand their teams, meaning competition for top talent could get intense. Companies may need to adjust hiring strategies accordingly.

Expanding
teams Maintaining
teams Freezing hiring/
eliminating
roles Expanding
teams Maintaining
teams Freezing hiring/
eliminating
roles

Want to know more about the hiring market?

Our Labor Market Overview puts the latest reports from the Bureau of Labor Statistics in context. Get key employment trends, including job openings, unemployment and turnover, as well as our analyses of job posting data and the overall job market.

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Employee
burnout Delayed
project
timelines Decreased
productivity Higher
employee
turnover Can’t support
critical
projects Lower team
morale Lost revenue Employee
burnout Delayed
project
timelines Decreased
productivity Higher
employee
turnover Can’t support
critical
projects Lower team
morale Lost revenue

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The surveys cited were developed by Robert Half and conducted by an independent research firm. Results may not total 100% due to rounding or allowing for multiple responses. Respondents included executives, hiring managers and workers from small (10-99 employees), midsize (100-999 employees) and large (1,000+ employees) businesses in private, publicly listed and public sector organizations across the U.S.

Over 6 million new positions from more than 8,000 independent job boards and company websites, including 100,000+ placements from Robert Half, are represented in our analyses of in-demand roles. This dataset includes roles across the finance and accounting, technology, marketing and creative, legal, administrative and customer support, healthcare support, and human resources professions.