SignalHire sees healthcare and trades surge as digital roles fall

By AI, Created 3:26 PM UTC, May 26, 2026, /AGP/ – SignalHire’s 2026 Global Jobs Report says recruiter search data across the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia and India points to a labor market reordering, not a broad collapse. Healthcare, trades and regulated roles are rising fast while several marketing, analytics and support roles contract sharply.

Why it matters: - Recruiter search patterns often appear before jobs are posted publicly, so the report offers an early read on where hiring demand is shifting. - The data suggests AI is changing the mix of roles companies want to fill, with more demand in jobs that require physical presence, clinical judgment and regulatory responsibility. - The report frames the current labor market as redistribution, not a jobs crisis.

What happened: - SignalHire released its 2026 Global Jobs Report using paid search data from thousands of recruiters in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia and India. - The report compares recruiter search activity from January to April 2025 with the same period in 2026. - The biggest U.S. increase was Physical Therapist Assistant, up 5,717%. - The biggest Canada decline was Digital Marketing Specialist, down 95%.

The details: - In the U.S., searches rose for Physical Therapist (+1,473%), Physical Therapist Assistant (+5,717%) and Occupational Therapist (+56%). - In the U.S., Project Manager searches fell 82%, Account Manager fell 69% and Business Analyst fell 65%. - In the U.K., searches rose for Java Developer (+3,257%), QA Engineer (+567%) and Quantitative Finance Specialist (+2,688%). - In the U.K., Software Engineer fell 75% and Paid Media Specialist fell 74%. - In Canada, Application Architect searches rose 7,150%, Heavy Truck Driver rose 600% and Claims Adjuster rose 6,600%. - In Australia, Graduate Accountant searches rose 1,162%, Talent Acquisition Director increased from 1 search to 90, and Middle and Senior Accountants rose 118%. - In India, ESG and Sustainability Professional searches rose 71% and Area Sales Manager rose 241%. - In India, Administration Specialist fell 88% and Account Manager fell 80%. - The report says recruiter searches typically happen three to six weeks before companies post jobs publicly. - SignalHire says hiring managers are sourcing ahead of forecasted shortages instead of waiting for them to appear. - The report cites the WEF Future of Jobs Report 2026, which estimates 170 million new jobs created by 2030 versus 92 million displaced workers.

Between the lines: - The sharp split between healthcare, trades and some technical roles on one side and marketing, administration and some general business roles on the other points to a changing skills premium. - AI appears to be reducing demand for roles tied to repeatable digital output while raising the value of work that is harder to automate or requires on-site execution. - The country-by-country swings also suggest the shift is not uniform and is being shaped by local labor needs.

What’s next: - Recruiter search data will likely continue to offer an early signal of where companies plan to hire before public job postings catch up. - If the report’s pattern continues, healthcare, regulated professions and certain field-based roles may keep attracting outsized hiring attention. - SignalHire says its platform provides access to more than 850 million verified professional profiles for recruiting and sales teams worldwide.

The bottom line: - The report’s message is simple: hiring demand is moving fast, and the biggest gains are showing up in roles that AI is least likely to replace.