American companies plan to continue to streamline operations in 2026 while relying on technology to take on more tasks. Forecasters at the recruitment website Indeed indicate that recruitment growth will be relatively limited in 2026; e-commerce platform Shopify and fintech company Chime Financial have made it clear that they plan to maintain a basic stability in the number of existing employees. This month, the Yale School of Management hosted a CEO summit in Midtown Manhattan. According to a post-conference survey, 66% of business leaders said they plan to either lay off employees or maintain the current team size next year; only one-third of respondents said they have recruitment plans. Chris Layden, CEO of human resources services company Kelly Services, said, “There will be a large number of wait-and-see companies in the future. Many potential uncertainties mean that companies will continue to increase capital investment rather than manpower investment.”

American companies plan to continue to streamline operations in 2026 while relying on technology to take on more tasks. Forecasters at the recruitment website Indeed indicate that recruitment growth will be relatively limited in 2026; e-commerce platform Shopify and fintech company Chime Financial have made it clear that they plan to maintain a basic stability in the number of existing employees. This month, the Yale School of Management hosted a CEO summit in Midtown Manhattan. According to a post-conference survey, 66% of business leaders said they plan to either lay off employees or maintain the current team size next year; only one-third of respondents said they have recruitment plans. Chris Layden, CEO of human resources services company Kelly Services, said, “There will be a large number of wait-and-see companies in the future. Many potential uncertainties mean that companies will continue to increase capital investment rather than manpower investment.”