Business
Upwork December Monthly Hiring Report: Operational Roles Rise as Businesses Brace for Macro Uncertainty in 2026
Rising demand for project management and accounting show companies shifting from experimentation to execution PALO ALTO, Calif., Jan. 08, 2026 (GLOBE
About this update from Upwork Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"Rising demand for project management and accounting show companies shifting from experimentation to execution\nPALO ALTO, Calif., Jan. 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Upwork Inc. (Nasdaq: UPWK), the world’s human and AI-powered work marketplace, today released its December Monthly Hiring Report, revealing a clear shift toward hiring focused on operational execution as businesses prepare for a potentially volatile start to 2026. The report draws from more than 1 million job posts in the U.S. on the Upwork Marketplace annually and a monthly business pulse survey from the Upwork Research Institute. It offers a real-time view of how businesses are hiring in the digital knowledge work market, which is expected to reach $1.3 trillion by 2028.1 With fewer than one in three business leaders describing macro conditions as favorable in December,2 hiring activity on Upwork shows companies narrowing their strategic focus to roles that help them execute with precision rather than build or experiment with new systems. Top Hiring Insights: December 2025 Operational roles led hiring growth in December to shore up planning and execution amid rising uncertainty. Demand on the Upwork Marketplace rose for: Project Management: +23%Accounting & Bookkeeping: +15%Virtual Admin Assistance: +3% Meanwhile, some categories tied to experimentation and expansion cooled on a short-term basis, reflecting typical year-end budget resets and seasonal planning cycles rather than broader, structural shifts in demand. Hiring on the Upwork Marketplace declined for: Ecommerce Development: -56% month-over-month, but +14% year-over-yearBranding & Logo Design: -17% month-over-month, but +21% year-over-yearMarketing, PR & Brand Strategy: -15% month-over-month, but +43% year-over-year Hiring in December was driven by small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Among SMBs, hiring for Project Management rose 70% month-over-month, while SMB demand also increased for Virtual Assistance (+18%) and Accounting & Bookkeeping (+9%), a sign that smaller firms in particular are relying on flexible talent to stay productive and maintain business momentum without taking on fixed risk. “In uncertain macro conditions, execution matters, and we're seeing that shift most clearly among small and medium-sized businesses,” said Anthony Kappus, chief operating officer at Upwork. “They have less roo...