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- Manpower topped Forbes' 2026 Best Temporary Staffing Firms list, selected from over 13,800 recruiter and HR recommendations through a fee-free, market-driven methodology.
- ManpowerGroup recorded $18.0 billion in FY2025 revenue and reported five consecutive quarters of year-over-year improvement entering 2026.
- The U.S. temporary staffing market is projected at $183.3 billion in 2026 as 84% of staffing firms integrate AI into hiring workflows.
Manpower earns #1 on Forbes' 2026 Best Temporary Staffing Firms for a record 10th year as the $183B U.S. staffing market navigates AI-driven transformation.
Lead
ManpowerGroup (NYSE: MAN) announced in May 2026 that its flagship Manpower brand has claimed the top position on Forbes' annual America's Best Temporary Staffing Firms list for the tenth consecutive year. Developed by Forbes in partnership with Statista, the Manpower Forbes ranking drew on feedback from approximately 13,800 recruiters, HR leaders, hiring managers, and job seekers, generating more than 18,000 individual recommendations across the U.S. staffing sector. Manpower also secured a top-five position on Forbes' companion America's Best Professional Recruiting Firms list, extending dual recognition across both temporary placement and professional hiring channels.What the Ranking Measures
The Forbes-Statista methodology ranks staffing firms by the volume of recommendations received from peers, clients, and candidates, with no fee required for participation — giving the list a market-driven character rather than a product of sponsored submissions. The result is a proxy for brand trust across the hiring ecosystem.
For ManpowerGroup, the milestone extends an uninterrupted run spanning economic cycles from the post-pandemic hiring surge through the 2024 demand contraction and into the current recovery. Raj Namboothiry, Senior Vice President and Head of Manpower U.S., noted that the distinction reflects the voices of clients, candidates, and peers — the three constituencies whose confidence determines whether a staffing brand retains or loses enterprise mandates.
Strategic Context
The recognition arrives as ManpowerGroup executes a multi-year transformation program targeting approximately $200 million in permanent annual cost savings by 2028, with capital redeployed toward its higher-margin Experis IT staffing and Talent Solutions managed-workforce brands. The company is advancing AI across its domestic platforms, including PowerSuite — an AI-assisted candidate assessment system — and MyPath, a workforce skilling program designed to expand candidate pipelines for clients adopting skills-based hiring criteria.
In the first quarter of 2026, ManpowerGroup reported revenue of $4.5 billion, a 10% year-over-year increase as reported and a 3% gain in constant currency, marking five consecutive quarters of improving top-line trends. For full-year 2025, the company generated $18.0 billion in revenue. Management has guided Q2 2026 adjusted earnings per diluted share of $0.91 to $1.01.
ManpowerGroup operates across 70-plus countries and ranks third globally among staffing firms by revenue, behind Randstad and Adecco Group, per Staffing Industry Analysts benchmarks.
Staffing Trends and the Labor Market Backdrop
The U.S. temporary staffing market is projected to reach $183.3 billion in 2026, growing approximately 2% annually. With domestic unemployment at 4.3%, the labor market has moderated from post-pandemic tightness without generating significant slack — a configuration that sustains steady placement demand without the hiring urgency that temporarily inflated staffing volumes in 2021 and 2022.
Technology is reshaping how that demand is met. Staffing trends in 2026 show that 84% of firms now incorporate AI into hiring workflows, and 52% of talent acquisition leaders are deploying or planning autonomous AI agent tools that handle transactional recruitment tasks at scale. The resulting shift — from recruiter time spent on administration toward client and candidate relationships — narrows the operational advantage of labor-intensive models and rewards firms with scalable platforms and established brand recognition.
Skills-based hiring has simultaneously expanded the addressable candidate pool. Ninety-two percent of employers now evaluate non-degree candidates for open roles. Firms using structured skills assessment report employees who remain 34% longer than those hired through experience-based screening, with performance outcomes five times more predictable. ManpowerGroup's PowerSuite platform is positioned directly within this structural shift.Globally, the 100 largest staffing firms collectively generated $257 billion in revenue in the most recently measured period, representing roughly 41% of a total global market estimated at approximately $620 billion. Asia-Pacific staffing is expanding at 8% annually; North America is growing at 7.4%. Life sciences, engineering, and finance staffing are expected to lead sector-specific U.S. growth in 2026.
Outlook
ManpowerGroup's tenth consecutive Manpower Forbes recognition reinforces the brand's standing in U.S. temporary staffing at a moment when AI adoption and skills-based hiring are accelerating structural change across the labor market. The company's cost transformation program targets a leaner operating model while directing investment toward Experis and Talent Solutions — segments better positioned to capture demand for specialized and technology-enabled talent. Five consecutive quarters of improving revenue trends signal that the post-2023 demand cycle trough is behind the company. Scale across 70-plus countries and an established client base provide a durable competitive position that smaller regional firms cannot readily replicate, as evolving staffing trends continue to reward breadth, brand equity, and platform investment.
Mentioned tickers: MANAnalysis
