Manpower: Hiring expectations ease slightly for early 2026
Puerto Rico’s hiring outlook for the first quarter of 2026 has softened slightly, according to ManpowerGroup’s latest Employment Outlook Survey, which reports a seasonally adjusted net employment trend of 15 percentage points.
The figure represents a one-point dip from the previous quarter but remains three points higher than the same period in 2025.
Melissa Rivera-Roena, general manager of ManpowerGroup Puerto Rico, said employers continue to signal stability. Survey results show that 54% of companies expect no workforce changes, 27% plan to add staff, 12% foresee reductions and 7% are uncertain.
“The survey numbers for January through March 2026 indicate stability,” she said. “A better position is expected than in January 2025, and it’s very positive that most employers are maintaining their current levels or planning to increase their workforce.”
The outlook varies significantly by region. The North leads hiring expectations at 27%, followed by the Metropolitan Region at 22%. The East (12%) and West (10%) show more modest plans, while the Central (9%) and South (8%) regions report the lowest anticipated activity.
Hospitality tops the sectors expecting the strongest hiring at 38%, with trade and logistics (27%) and finance and insurance (27%) also showing notable demand. Construction and real estate (6%) and information technology (6%) reflect the weakest hiring intentions.
Rivera-Roena said large companies are driving much of the momentum. Firms with 1,000 to 4,999 employees expect the strongest hiring potential at 27%, followed by companies with 5,000 or more employees at 26%. Smaller businesses in the 50 to 249 employee range reported the lowest expectations at 13%.
In global context, Puerto Rico ranks 30th — tied with Singapore — among the 41 countries surveyed. While the global average is 24%, the island “performs very well” in year-over-year growth comparisons.
Alberto Alesi, CEO of ManpowerGroup for Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America, said the results place Puerto Rico “among the jurisdictions with growth in hiring expectations,” noting that demand could increase as reshoring projects advance.
The company said its sector classifications were reorganized to align with the North American Industry Classification System, without affecting the number of industries measured.
The study has been conducted globally since 1969 and in Puerto Rico since 2022, using a sample of 500 employers.
