America Employed: Hiring Managers Brace for Challenges in the Year Ahead

Despite the continued hiring optimism of U.S. hiring managers, more than 9 in 10 (92%) expect to face challenges over the next year — reaching the highest point since the survey began in 2020.

This is according to a recent survey from The Harris Poll commissioned by Express Employment Professionals.

At the top of the list of expected obstacles in 2024 are finding qualified candidates (53%), increased competition in the job market (29%) and the available talent pool not matching the company’s needs (27%) — on par with the expected challenges cited for 2023. Read more.

Most U.S. hiring managers are looking toward hiring opportunities this year with a positive mindset (79%) — often citing feelings of optimism (44%), hopefulness (39%) and confidence (37%).

And to that point, expectations for increasing hiring efforts continue as nearly two-thirds of hiring managers (63%) say their company plans to increase the number of employees in the first half of 2024 (i.e., Jan. 1 through June 30, 2024); continuing its positive trajectory, now reaching its highest point since the survey began in 2020. Read more.