Hinterland, gigs, AI to set hiring theme for 2026

The Chinese zodiac predicts that 2026 will be the Year of the Fire Horse, symbolizing bold decisions, ambition and sharply moving away from the strategic thinking that was 2025, the Year of the Wood Snake.

- Devina Sengupta

In India, employers and employees will witness three prominent trends in 2026, say experts. First, the spotlight will shift to smaller cities and towns as companies look for the right talent and metros lose their lure. The second change will be the dominant role that the gig workforce will play. Thirdly, the deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) will remain an integral aspect with concerns on how to upskill employees without