Hiring Flat for the College Class of 2026

BETHLEHEM, PA—Reflecting an uncertain job market for college graduates, employers are projecting just a 1.6% increase in hiring for the Class of 2026 when compared to the Class of 2025, according to results of a new report from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).  

Findings from NACE’s Job Outlook 2026 survey indicate that the flat hiring projection is consistent with the tight labor market employers reported at the end of the 2024-25 recruiting year. (See Figure 1.)

“Our findings are consistent with what we are seeing with general employment indicators at large,” says Shawn VanDerziel, NACE president and chief executive officer.

“We found that employers are less positive about the overall job market for upcoming graduates this year than they have been in the last several years. Currently, a plurality of employers rate the overall job market for new graduates as ‘fair,’ compared to a year ago, when they characterized it as ‘good.’”

The last time employers gave the job market a “fair” rating was for the Class of 2021, when the overall hiring projection was also flat. (See Figure 2.)

“Additionally, the vast majority of employers [60%] are telling us that they will maintain hiring, with fewer increasing [25%] and less decreasing [15%] hiring,” VanDerziel notes.

However, he says, there is good news as employers are taking a long view of the job market. Among employers that are increasing hiring, the main reasons for doing so are their commitment to succession planning/importance of their talent pipelines (72.7%) and company growth (68.2%).

“This is a strong indication they are not giving up on professional entry-level hiring or recent college graduates, and they are focused on the future of their organizations,” VanDerziel explains.  

About the Job Outlook 2026 survey: NACE collected data for its Job Outlook 2026 survey from August 7, 2025, through September 22, 2025. Of the 183 total respondents, 170 were NACE employer members, representing 22.7% of eligible member respondents. The Job Outlook 2026 survey was also distributed to nonmember companies; this group provided an additional 13 responses. Job Outlook 2026 is available on NACEWeb.

About the National Association of Colleges and Employers: Established in 1956, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) is the only professional association in the United States that connects more than 13,000 college career services professionals, more than 3,800 early career talent acquisition professionals, and more than 400 business solution providers that serve this community.

NACE is the premier source of market research on career readiness, the employment of recent college graduates, and the college-to-career transition. NACE forecasts hiring and trends in the job market; tracks salaries, recruiting and hiring practices, and student attitudes and outcomes; and identifies best practices and benchmarks.

NACE offers its members unparalleled research, networking and professional development opportunities, guidance on standards and ethics, and advocacy on key issues. For more information, visit www.naceweb.org. NACE maintains a virtual press room for the media.