For Q4 2026, the Asia Pacific & Middle East (APME) region recorded a seasonally adjusted Net Employment Outlook (NEO) of 33% – up 5 points on the previous quarter and 4 points year-over-year. Across around 12,800 employers surveyed in 11 countries and territories, 46% plan to grow their workforce between October and December, 13% anticipate reductions, 40% expect no change and 1% are unsure. Anticipated increases are driven by company expansion, whilst expected decreases are attributed to wider economic challenges. The region continues to sit ahead of the global average of 29%.
Key Findings
- Regional Variations: India leads the region with a NEO of 54%, the strongest result both in APME and globally. The U.A.E. follows at 41% (unadjusted), with Vietnam at 36% (unadjusted), China and Israel level at 34%, Australia at 27% and Taiwan at 26%. At the lower end, Hong Kong sits at 14%, Singapore at 13% and Japan at 7%, the weakest in the region.
- Year-Over-Year Movement: The APME average improved by 4 points, slightly behind the global average gain of 6 points. Israel posted the largest regional improvement (+16), ahead of India (+11) and Taiwan (+10). Japan (-6) and Singapore (-7) were the only APME markets to decline.
- Industry Sector Performance: Information reported both the strongest NEO (42%) and the largest year-over-year gain (+11 points). Tech & IT Services followed at 41% and Finance & Insurance at 40%. Hospitality recorded the weakest outlook at 20%, down 19 points on the same period last year, with Automotive also falling (32%, -6).
- Company Size: Organisations with 5,000 or more employees reported the strongest NEO at 39%, followed by 250-999 employee firms at 38%. Small businesses posted the sharpest improvement, with both the under-10 (22%) and 10-49 (27%) bands rising 8 points year-over-year.
- Entry-Level Talent: 45% of APME employers say entry-level hiring has increased against 2025, with 36% reporting no impact and 18% a decrease. Information (53%) and Tech & IT Services (51%) lead. Among those pulling back, cost pressure and the need for immediately productive hires ranked first, ahead of a general reduction in hiring and AI-driven automation of early-career tasks.
- Time to Hire: Despite wider adoption of AI, 40% of employers report time to hire is unchanged on 2025, 31% report it is faster and 28% slower. Better candidate targeting and quicker internal approvals were cited as the main accelerators, whilst skills shortages and expectation mismatches remain the leading brakes.
