Express Employment Professionals’ America Employed and Canada Employed series explore the state of employment in North America, including everything from hiring expectations and HR challenges to job seekers’ optimism and shrinking the skills gap. Learn about the latest insights uncovered in a recent Express Employment Professionals-Harris Poll survey.
Hiring managers have a positive outlook for hiring in 2025. Most companies plan to increase employee headcount to meet demands like expansion into new markets, gaining expertise in new areas, and managing work caused by AI concerns.
Sixty-three percent of U.S. hiring managers anticipate increasing headcount at their company, with 19% planning significant increases and 44% expecting slight growth.
- Primary drivers for increasing headcount include managing increased volumes of work, filling newly created positions, and addressing employee turnover
- 30% of companies plan to maintain current workforce levels in the first half of 2025, compared to 29% in 2024
- The primary reasons for workforce decreases planned for 6% of companies include cost-cutting measures, company restructuring, and aligning with decreased demand
Almost three-quarters (71%) of Canadian hiring managers also feel positive about their hiring outlook for the coming year.
- Hiring managers report feeling optimistic (39%), confident (36%), and hopeful (35%) about hiring
- 51% of companies plan to increase their employee count in the first half of 2025, while 41% plain to maintain headcount, and 8% plan to decrease their workforce
- 18% of companies plan to increase headcount to manage AI concerns, up from 10% in the first half of 2024
Read more about the latest employment insights in America Employed at ExpressPros.com and Canada Employed at ExpressPros.ca.
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