New Year, New Career? Everything You Need to Know About Entering the Job Market in 2026

Q4 is coming to an end and that means that, if you haven’t already, it’s time to start looking ahead to 2026. Here at Career Navig8r, we’re always researching to stay up-to-date with the latest developments. Today we’re bringing you our top job market predictions for 2026 as well as insights into future job trends and the best time of year to look for a new job.

Jobs Trends to Watch

Job market predictions are always tricky and if you want to be accurate, then you have to start with the stats. So let’s take a look at some predictions from around the world.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labour Statistics, the fastest growing occupations are wind turbine service technicians and solar photovoltaic installers. Also represented in that list are jobs in cybersecurity, finance and medicine.

What’s interesting is that this tracks with other reports released by international governments. In a skills assessment conducted by the UK government, it was determined that Clean Energy, Health and Adult Social Care, and Digital and Technologies were among the top ten industries predicted to grow over the next five years.

And that’s not a trend unique to these two countries either. Across high income nations, almost every projection places renewable energy, medicine, and technology at the top of the pile. So if you’re looking for job security, then these are sectors to watch.

Which Jobs to Be Worried About

Of course, job market predictions aren’t all about success. Alongside new and growing industries, there will always be some jobs on their way out and it’s important to know about them so that you can avoid getting stuck at the dead end of a swiftly vanishing career path.

Now, it’s impossible to talk about disappearing jobs without addressing the AI shaped elephant in the room. People are worried that AI will replace their job and with good reason. Jobs are already disappearing to AI, particularly in creative roles such as graphic design and copywriting.

That said, take a step backwards and the picture becomes a little more complicated. While it’s true that there are fewer jobs in these industries, very few are being replaced by AI altogether, especially in roles where experience and expertise are required.

The jobs that are disappearing are largely entry level roles, continuing a trend that’s been going for some years now. Put simply, companies are less and less willing to invest in young talent, especially if they think AI can do just as good a job.

Instead, there’s a growing expectation for young professionals to develop impressive portfolios independently before searching for in-industry work. On the other hand, many are also opting for the internship route in order to gain the valuable experience they need.

How To Start Your Job Search in 2026

So you’re looking for a new job? When should you start and what should you do?

Well the first thing to say is that if you’re looking for a job, there’s no time like the present. While there certainly are key points in the calendar to keep an eye on, recruiters are always looking for candidates so there’s never a bad time to be on the look out.

That said, Q1 is generally regarded as one of the two best times of year to look for a new job, with the other being the start of Q3. This tends to happen because people are coming back from breaks and – in the case of Q1 – they’re putting together new budgets and planning for the end of the financial year in April.

It’s also worth noting that employers can be reluctant to let people go right before a large break – particularly where Christmas is concerned. Instead, it’s generally considered more tactful to let people go in January, leading to a wave of new vacancies.

So are you ready to kick off the new year in style? Will you be following our future employment trends or carving your own career path? Either way we wish you good luck in all your endeavours, a Merry Christmas, and of course a very happy new year.