Published April 2026

Job Outlook 2026: Spring Update

Hiring is up 5.6%—but not across the board.

Employer hiring for the Class of 2026 is increasing, but growth is uneven across industries and employer types.

AI is reshaping how work gets done, and expectations for early talent continue to evolve.

Explore the data and insights shaping how employers are recruiting entry-level talent.

Get the full report

Posted April 2026.

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People walking through an office.
Unemployment rate

Bachelor’s degree grads (age 20 – 24)

Dive into the results

A graduation cap on a teal background.

Employers Expect to Hire 5.6% More New College Graduates This Year

Employers expect to increase new college graduate hiring from the Class of 2026 by 5.6%, a projection driven upward by the more than one-third of respondents reporting plans to bring in additional hires, according to results of NACE’s Job Outlook 2026 Spring Update.

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An entry level employee showcases a new AI tool.

Demand for AI Skills in Entry-level Jobs Nearly Triples Since Fall 2025

AI is increasingly becoming an expectation for early career talent, shaping both the job market and entry-level work, according to NACE’s 2026 Job Outlook Spring Update.

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An illustration of a man ascending a staircase of skill icons.

The Key Skills Employers Seek on College Students’ Resumes

When reviewing the resumes of Class of 2026 candidates for entry-level positions, employers are seeking graduates who provide evidence of polished teamwork, problem-solving, and communication skills, according to results of NACE’s Job Outlook 2026 Spring Update survey.

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Workers walking through an office.

Employers Say New Grads Are Largely Prepared for Work, With Room to Improve

Overall, employers say new college graduates are reasonably well prepared for the jobs they will enter after graduation—and more than 20% say they are very well prepared, according to NACE’s Job Outlook 2026 Spring Update.

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Get the full report

The Job Outlook 2026 Spring Update is the final report on employer hiring projections for Class of 2026 college graduates.

Complete the form to access the findings, including trends in hiring intentions, salary expectations, and the growing role of skills-based evaluation.

Job Outlook 2026: Spring Update

Employers project a 5.6% increase in hiring for the Class of 2026.

Hiring intentions

Top 5 industries increasing hiring

• Information

• Engineering Services

• Wholesale Trade

• Construction

• Misc. Professional Services

Top 5 industries decreasing hiring

• Utilities

• Computer + Electronics Mfg.

• Miscellaneous Mfg.

• Food + Beverage Mfg.

• Chemical (Pharmaceutical) Mfg.

Projected change in number of entry-level college hires
Job market ratings from the past few years

Employers give the job market a “fair” rating

Overall, a plurality of employers—45%—characterized the overall job market for Class of 2026 graduates as “fair.”

The last time the largest group of employers identified the job market as “fair” was in 2021, when 52% rated it as “fair” and the overall hiring projections were also flat.

Recruiters shift more hiring to the spring

A larger percentage of college recruiting is typically conducted in the fall, but the percentage of recruiting taking place in the spring is increasing and stands at 37% for full-time hires and 27% for interns. This suggests some uncertainty on the part of employers. For comparison, in the years prior to the pandemic, nearly three-quarters of recruiting for full-time hires was done in the fall, with the remaining completed in the spring.

Office people in motion.

Employers stress the importance of experiential learning

Employers value experiential education in the candidates they recruit. Nearly all respondents cited U.S.-based internships as valuable, while slightly more than three-quarters find value in co-ops.

In addition, more than 40% of respondents seek candidates with on-campus student work and those with apprenticeships.

Almost 70% of respondents use skills-based hiring

Employer use of skills-based hiring has grown over the last year, with nearly 70% now saying they are using it.

Skills-based hiring

How can students demonstrate their skills during a skills-based hiring process?

Employers point out that the top way students can demonstrate skills in preparation for interviews is to plan to share examples and situations when they used their skills to solve problems.

Employers also reiterated the importance of experiential learning and/or work during college and being able to tie their college coursework and extracurricular activities to professional skills.

Jobs that now require you to have AI skills

13.3%

Entry-level job posts that now require AI skills

10.5%

About the survey

The Job Outlook 2026 Spring Update survey was conducted from February 12 – March 17, 2026. Of the 185 total respondents, 142 were NACE employer members, representing 19.9% of eligible member respondents. The Job Outlook 2026 Spring Update survey was also distributed to nonmember companies; this group provided an additional 43 responses. The survey updates hiring projections for the Class of 2026; those projections were collected from NACE employer members from August 7 – September 22, 2025, and were reported in Job Outlook 2026, which was published in November 2025.

By region, 6.5% of respondents are from New England, 16.8% are from the Mideast, 30.8% are from the Great Lakes, 8.6% are from the Plains, 15.1% are from the Southeast, 13.0% are from the Southwest, 3.2% are from the Rocky Mountains, and 5.9% are from the Far West. (For additional information about the respondents, see the slides.)

Data are calculated based on the number of respondents to each specific question. Totals may not equal 100% due to rounding.

NACE researchers on this project

Shawn VanDerziel

Shawn VanDerziel

CEO/President, NACE

Mary Gatta

Mary Gatta

Director of Research and Public Policy, NACE

Andrea Koncz

Andrea Koncz

Senior Research Manager, NACE