Star Metro - 30% Healthcare Surge vs. The Remote Work Ceiling: Defining the 2026 U.S. Employment Shift

"In 2025, we saw a transformation of the American labor market," said Yevhen Onatsko, Jooble's U.S. country manager. "Candidates increasingly chose access to getting paid quickly, while businesses prioritized operational efficiency."

Among the key Jooble findings for 2025:

• A healthcare recruitment surge. Demand for healthcare professionals increased by 30% by early fall, driven by an aging population and persistent staffing shortages. Demand for registered nurses (RNs) and caregivers remained high.

• Healthcare and service sectors lead in part-time hiring. Demand for RNs and caregivers remained critically high throughout the year, making healthcare and hospitality the most stable segments for part-time work.

• New IT strategy. IT companies moved away from the mass hiring that characterized previous years to focus on team optimization and the ROI for each employee. AI integration - rather than headcount expansion - was a priority.

• Remote work hits a ceiling. After years of steady growth, the remote work market showed signs of stagnation. Despite seasonal fluctuations that peaked between March and June, the supply of remote job postings remained at 2024 levels, creating intense competition among job seekers.

• The fast-pay phenomenon. One of 2025's most revealing trends emerged in search query data. Terms like "immediate hire" and "we pay cash daily" consistently ranked among the top searches. "Immediate hire" search queries peaked during the winter months, confirming demand for supplemental income and increased financial pressure on American families.

• Speed over prestige. Workers demonstrated a clear preference for speed over traditional career advancement, focusing on sectors with low barriers to entry over corporate positions. Strong demand for jobs in construction, cleaning and logistics indicated that getting hired quickly mattered more than job prestige.

• International interest remains strong. Steady interest from international candidates in the U.S. job market persisted throughout 2025. Searches for "visa sponsorship" and "free visa" remained among the top queries on the Jooble platform, demonstrating continued appeal for American employment opportunities for workers abroad.

• Inclusive hiring gains ground. Data revealed an increased interest from populations historically excluded from traditional employment. Queries included terms like "felony" and highlighted growth in second-chance hiring, where employers consider candidates with criminal records. This trend toward barrier-free work reflected workers' needs and evolving employer attitudes. Companies facing labor shortages showed greater willingness to expand their candidate pools.

Breaking down search patterns

Peak job searching among Americans occurred in October and November, according to Jooble's data. Many workers began searching for new opportunities, creating intense competition in the late fall.

The timing suggests strategic thinking by job seekers who wanted to secure new positions before the calendar year ended. It also created predictable hiring pressure for employers during those months.

Data revealed that interest in work-from-home positions persisted among job seekers. However, the number of available opportunities failed to keep pace with the demand. More workers attempted to transition into remote roles from other professions or sought flexible arrangements to balance family responsibilities with income needs.

Why 2026 will favor flexible employers and AI-savvy workers

Jooble analysts identified three key trends expected to shape the 2026 jobs market.

• Flexibility and hiring freezes. The ability to work remotely or maintain an adaptable schedule will drive employment decisions more than compensation levels. Companies that insist on full return-to-office mandates risk losing key specialists to more accommodating competitors. Competition among candidates will also intensify as job postings decrease and employees change jobs less frequently.

• Escalating healthcare talent shortage. Medical facilities face mounting pressure to offer larger sign-on bonuses and highly flexible shifts to attract professionals. Healthcare appears positioned to remain the only sector showing steady growth while other industries stagnate.

• AI adaptation. Candidates who can integrate AI tools into their daily work will gain a significant advantage. Demand for AI-enabled specialists in support, marketing and IT is expected to grow 25 to 30%. Employers will begin revising job descriptions to make AI proficiency a mandatory requirement rather than a nice-to-have bonus.

"While the supply of remote work has stabilized, it remains a key tool for accessing talent outside local hubs," Onatsko said. "In 2026, the competitive edge will go to employers who can integrate AI technologies into their processes and offer flexible employment formats adapted to a person's lifestyle, rather than the other way around."

About Jooble

Jooble is a global job search platform operating in 66 countries, aggregating thousands of job openings from multiple sources. It ranks among the top 10 employment resources by traffic, according to SimilarWeb.

Media Contact
Anastasiia Bilynska
Public Relations Manager
E-mail: [email protected]

SOURCE: Jooble

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

J.Campbell--SMC