New data from international recruitment firm Robert Half shows nearly 50% of UK employers

have a renewed confidence and a strong appetite for growth, despite ongoing economic

uncertainty.

According to the data, 47% of businesses are planning to increase headcount across key professional functions including finance & accounting, IT, administrative, marketing and legal in the first half of the year, marking a significant rise from 36% recorded in the second half of 2025.

Interim hiring intentions have risen to its highest level since 2024 with 47% of organizations reporting plans to ramp up recruitment in 2026 to boost delivery capacity in finance, technology, and marketing as firms seek to advance automation, regulatory compliance, and digital transformation initiatives.  

Additionally, contract hiring continues to gain traction with 36% of employers planning to increase their contract workforce in legal, risk and compliance roles as organizations focus on meeting evolving regulatory and operational demands.

“The increase in permanent headcount plans, alongside the surge in interim and contract hiring, reflects a strategic focus on agility and resilience.  Organizations are investing in critical functions such as finance, technology, and legal to strengthen compliance, accelerate digital transformation, and maintain competitive advantage.  Despite ongoing economic uncertainty, UK businesses have a promising sense of cautious optimism and ambition.  Employers are clearly building future-ready teams that can adapt to change and deliver growth and, encouragingly, there seems to be a recognition that flexibility is key,” says Matt Weston, Senior Managing Director UK & Ireland, Robert Half.

“By combining permanent hires with interim and contract talent, businesses are positioning themselves to respond quickly to market demands while driving innovation across their operations.  It will be interesting to see how this trend plays out in the coming months, but for now, it is a promising sign.”

Robert Half's research shows demand for finance and accounting professionals is particularly acute, with 58% of employers planning to expand permanent headcount in this remit in the first half of 2026, up from 50% in the previous six months.  Contract hiring in IT is climbing, with 39% of employers planning to boost flexible resources, whilst a further 43% of businesses plan to add temporary support compared to 39% in the latter half of 2025.  

Data shows 56% of organizations intend to grow their permanent teams in IT and technology teams, an increase of 11 percentage points on the previous period.  Legal and compliance roles are set for the most dramatic rebound, with permanent hiring intentions jumping from 26% in late 2025 to 42% in early 2026.