2026 Workforce Signals to Keep an Eye On

It's a new year, and if you're like us you're probably wondering what 2026 has in store for workers, job seekers and leaders.

Glassdoor's latest trends show some big signals to watch: a growing disconnect between employees and leadership, mini-layoffs creating near constant anxiety and job searches stretching longer than ever. Burnout is high, trust is low and a lot of people are "job hugging"—or staying put because the market feels so uncertain.

But there are also some clues about where opportunity might pop up this year, from shifting expectations around AI skills to what's really happening with remote work and promotions.

To guide this conversation, we're looking at the real-world data from Glassdoor. In case you're not familiar with it, Glassdoor is a website where current and former employees anonymously review companies that they have worked for. These anonymous and candid insights into company culture, salaries and leadership from real employee experiences help job seekers make informed career decisions and help companies showcase their culture.

To talk about this, we're delighted to welcome back Daniel Zhao, chief economist at Glassdoor, who has been doing research on trends in the job market and workplace.

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