These jobs will be in highest demand as 2026 job market stays highly competitive

Despite an extremely competitive job market, demand remains strong for workers in healthcare, essential services, infrastructure-related fields, and other skill-based jobs, according to Monster’s latest report.

Monster’s 2026 Job Market Outlook, based on full-year 2025 job posting and jobseeker data, looked at the labor market based on different concentrations to understand where the most in-demand work will be in 2026, so jobseekers can be more targeted as they look for roles. 

"The 2026 labor market is defined less by broad growth or decline and more by divergence," Monster careers expert Vicki Salemi wrote in the report, adding that "hiring demand is concentrating in sectors tied to essential services, public investment, and specialized skills, while other areas continue to slow or undergo structural change."

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Helping jobseekers understand "where demand is structurally supported, rather than temporarily elevated, can mean the difference between chasing openings and building a resilient career path," Salemi continued. 

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Overall, healthcare remains the strongest hiring engine, according to Monster's report. The most in-demand roles in that field include registered nurse, physical therapist, respiratory therapist, occupational therapist, speech-language therapist, clinical social worker and licensed professional counselor, according to the report. 

The report also highlighted that skill-based, credentialed and hands-on jobs continue to outperform white-collar support roles because they "address persistent, real-world needs that cannot be easily automated or postponed," Salemi said. 

There is a shift even in technology toward infrastructure, operations and stability rather than speculative expansion, she said.

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Here are the jobs in demand: 

Skilled Trades & Technical Services

(Hands-on technical skills with strong replacement and maintenance demand)

Transportation, Logistics & Essential Services

(In-person, credentialed roles that support supply chains and emergency response)

Technology & Data

(Targeted technical roles tied directly to quality, performance, and data infrastructure)

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Health, Wellness & Community Care

(Preventative care, wellness services, and community-facing roles expand)