Labor Market Barometer 2026
The 20th edition of the “Labor Market Barometer” report prepared by Gi Group Holding (April 2026) points to a labor market dominated by employers’ caution, cost pressure, and the growing importance of productivity and artificial intelligence.
The latest, 20th edition of the “Labor Market Barometer” report prepared by Gi Group Holding (April 2026) points to a labor market dominated by employer caution, cost pressure, and the growing importance of productivity and artificial intelligence (AI).
Here are the key findings from the report:
1. Salaries and financial expectations
Slowing wage growth: 31% of companies increased wages in the last quarter (similar to last year), but fewer employees felt a real increase (34.6% now vs. 38.9% last year).
Weaker wage pressure: Although 53.4% of employees expect a raise in the coming months, this is 2.6 percentage points lower than a year ago and 8.1 percentage points lower than three years ago.
Size of raises: The largest group of respondents (37.5%) expects a pay increase of 11–20%, but the number of people expecting raises below 10% is growing.
2. Employment stability and employee sentiment
Hiring plans: Only 14% of companies plan to increase headcount, while 10% are expecting reductions.
Job insecurity: 42% of employees are afraid of losing their jobs within the next two years. The greatest concern is felt by workers in transport and logistics (46.6%) and retail (42%).
Career mobility: 33% of employees plan to change jobs within two years, and 40% are considering reskilling. People aged 25–44 are the most open to changing professions.
3. Productivity and artificial intelligence (AI)
Barriers and challenges: As the main productivity barrier, 27% of companies point to a shortage of workers. At the same time, 42% of employees feel overloaded with responsibilities.
Impact of AI: 53% of employees believe that AI has made their work easier or faster. The same share of respondents (53%) say, however, that this technology has increased the pace of work or pressure to deliver results.
Soft skills: As many as 37% of employers consider soft skills a key factor in increasing productivity in the company.
4. Recruitment challenges
Hiring difficulties: 46% of companies have recently had problems recruiting at least one group of employees.
Turnover: 41% of employers reported problems with employee turnover.
Search channels: Job boards remain the main source of offers (used by 55.4% of employees and 41.4% of companies). The “Career” tabs on company websites are gaining importance.
