The Early Careers Hiring Global Benchmark Report 2026

Graduate hiring is slowing. Applications are surging. AI and skill validation are changing everything. Get the data, insights, expert advice and case studies that you need to stay ahead in early careers hiring.

This is the only global early careers report produced solely using independent data from leading employer bodies across the UK, United States, and Australia. It reveals unique insights into the trends that are driving organisations to redesign their hiring strategies to secure the best early talent in a rapidly changing market.

Download your copy of the report and learn:

• Where early careers hiring is growing—and where it’s shrinking
• How AI is transforming recruitment (for employers and candidates)
• Why skills-based hiring is becoming the global standard
• How leading organisations are managing record application volumes
• What top employers are doing to improve candidate experience at scale
• How recruitment teams are balancing cost, capacity, and efficiency

The graduate hiring market is in recalibration. This report has been designed to help those working in early careers hiring to understand what’s changing—and what to do about it.