Hiring activity picks up in August after five-month slide; IT hiring remains weak

The job market has shown early signs of revival in August with the foundit hiring index rising 5% month-on-month last month after falling for five consecutive months. Despite the latest rebound, the index is still 18% below its February peak.

Travel and Tourism Soar

The biggest trend is the widening gap between IT and travel & tourism hiring. Travel & tourism remained one of the strongest-performing industries through much of 2026 with hiring growing 22% in August. The sector has been supported by the recovery in domestic and international travel, capacity expansion in hospitality and aviation, and rising demand for digital and revenue-management roles.