Temporary finance contracts decline 32% year over year

Permanent finance job openings grew 8% from Q1 2025 to Q1 2026, providing a bright spot in a still-recovering market. Temporary contracts tell a different story, dropping 32% over the same period from 27k to 19k openings. The pullback heading into 2026 suggests employers are taking a more conservative approach to contingent finance hiring, and that caution appears to be finance-specific. The financial sector posted some of the steepest job losses of any sector in early 2026, even as the broader economy continued to add jobs.