Skills Remain in Focus as Hiring Momentum Moderates Across APME in Q3 2026, ManpowerGroup Survey Finds

Even as hiring sentiment across Asia Pacific and the Middle East (APME) moderated in Q3 2026, employers continue to indicate a willingness to pay a premium for skills including AI literacy as well as communication, collaboration, and teamwork, according to the latest ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey.

The survey of 13,168 employers across 11 APME countries and territories found that 43% of employers plan to increase headcount in the coming quarter, 15% anticipate a decrease in staffing levels, while 41% expect no change. This results in a seasonally adjusted Net Employment Outlook (NEO) of +28%, down 10 points from Q2 2026, while remaining unchanged year over year.

Hiring sentiment across APME markets eased in Q3, with most reporting quarteronquarter declines. China (+4) and Türkiye (+1) were the only markets to record quarteronquarter  improvements. Despite a 20point decrease from the previous quarter, India (+48%) continues to report the strongest hiring outlook in the region, and globally, followed by China (+33%) and Vietnam (+28%). At the other end of the spectrum, hiring sentiment is weakest in markets including Hong Kong (9%), Japan (+1%), and Singapore (+13%).

“The broad moderation in hiring sentiment across the region reflects a far more complex operating environment in Q3, shaped by geopolitical tensions, supply chain disruptions, and rising cost pressures,” said François Lançon, Regional President, Asia Pacific & Middle East, ManpowerGroup. “These forces are affecting markets unevenly, dampening confidence in more trade and energyexposed economies, while growth markets with strong domestic demand and technology momentum show relative resilience. Even so, employers are taking a more cautious approach to hiring as the downstream effects of higher energy and operating costs continue to unfold.”

Skills Employers Are Investing In

Beyond hiring intentions, the survey examined which technical and interpersonal skills employers are willing to pay a premium for in the coming quarter, highlighting where organizations are concentrating their talent investment.

AIrelated capabilities lead technical skills demand. More than twothirds (69%) of employers in APME report being willing to pay a premium for AI literacy skills, while 68% cite AI model and application development skills. This is followed by sales and marketing skills (66%), and traditional IT and data skills (64%).

Across markets in the region, AI literacy is the top technical capability employers in Singapore (66%) and Vietnam (83%) are willing to pay a premium for, while AI model and application development ranks as the leading skill in India (84%), China (73%), Hong Kong (67%), and Israel (69%). 

When it comes to soft skills, employers are most willing to pay a premium for communication, collaboration, and teamwork (74%), and critical thinking and problemsolving (71%), closely followed by adaptability and willingness to learn (70%), professionalism and work ethic (70%), and time management and prioritization (68%). 

“Employers across the region are investing their hiring budgets with intent, prioritizing skills that drive impact today and strengthen competitiveness tomorrow. AI capability, from everyday literacy to advanced model and application development, is crucial, but its true value is realized when combined with strong human skills such as collaboration, problemsolving, and adaptability. This reinforces the importance of a humanfirst, digitalalways approach—centering workforce strategy on people, while leveraging technology to meet immediate business needs now and prepare organizations for what comes next,” Lançon said.

To view the complete results for the Q3 2026 ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey, including regional and country data, visit: https://www.manpowerthailand.com/en/meos