The U.S. job market strengthened during the second quarter of 2026, with experienced job seekers gaining an edge in the AI-driven market. According to a new job report from Toptal, demand for experienced technology and professional services personnel increased 7.1% quarter over quarter and 12.6% year over year.

Key Findings

The report found that companies are preferring experienced professionals who combine deep domain expertise with AI fluency and systems-level thinking. This shift is driving demand for professionals who can apply AI strategically while combining it with deep expertise and sound decision-making to create business value.

Nine of the 10 areas of expertise tracked in the report posted gains, including data science experts, developers, finance experts, information security specialists, management consultants, marketers, product managers, project managers, and sales professionals. Demand for finance consultants increased 31% quarter over quarter and 39% year over year, the largest growth of any specialization in the report.

The changing business landscape is also influencing organizations’ need for fractional part-time expertise, with 70% of business leaders saying their competitive strategy over the next three years primarily focuses on being fast and nimble.

Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.