Work statistics
Hiring Statistics 2026
This page collects current figures on job openings, hires, vacancies, time to hire, cost per hire, applicants per role and offer acceptance, each linked to the statistical office, survey or hiring platform that published it. It covers the US, the UK, the EU, Canada and Australia, with most data from 2025 and 2026. Official surveys describe the whole economy; hiring software vendors describe their own customers, so read the two kinds of figures side by side rather than as one series.
By the Mojolin research desk · Updated November 6, 2026 · Next review by December 21, 2026
- Figures
- 54
- Primary sources
- 19
- Official or research
- 41%
- Charts
- 4
Key takeaways
- 7.5 millionUS employers had 7.5 million job openings on the last business day of September 2026, an openings rate of 4.5%.U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- 63.0 millionUS employers made 63.0 million hires across 2025, 1.5 million fewer than in 2024.U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- 691,000The UK had an estimated 691,000 job vacancies in July to September 2026, down 21,000 on the quarter.Office for National Statistics
- $5,475US employers spent an average of $5,475 per nonexecutive hire in SHRM's 2025 benchmarking survey.SHRM
- 30 daysBusiness roles at Ashby customers had a median time to hire of 30 days, measured from application to accepted offer, in data through March 2026.Ashby
- 300Every hire at Ashby customers required more than 300 applications on average throughout 2025.Ashby
- 81%81% of US job seekers surveyed by Greenhouse in 2026 had been rejected in the past year without speaking to anyone at the company.Greenhouse
- 82%82% of candidates who reached the offer stage accepted in Gem's 2026 benchmarks, the highest rate since 2021.Gem
Research overview
What the numbers say
Hiring in the US is slow but steady. The Bureau of Labor Statistics counted 7.5 million job openings and 5.4 million hires in September 2026, and employers made 63.0 million hires across 2025, down from 76.8 million in 2022. The 2025 hires rate of 3.3% was the lowest of the past five years. LinkedIn's hiring rate tells the same story: up 3.2% in September 2026 but still 22.6% below February 2020. Indeed job postings are slightly more upbeat, 2.8% above a year earlier.
Other rich economies show cooling demand for workers. The ONS estimated 691,000 UK vacancies in July to September 2026, the first reading under 700,000 since 2021, with 2.4 unemployed people per vacancy. Eurostat put the EU job vacancy rate at 2.0% in Q2 2026, down in 15 member states over the year. Canada's vacancies have held near 507,000 for eight months, and Australia's are 31.2% below their 2022 peak.
For the employers and candidates in the process, hiring has become a volume problem. Ashby customers needed more than 300 applications per hire through 2025, Gem found recruiters handling 93% more applications than in 2021, and only 0.5% of applicants received an offer. Greenhouse's 2026 survey found 81% of US job seekers had been rejected without speaking to anyone. Despite that, timelines have held: Ashby measured a median of 30 days to hire for business roles and 40 days for technical roles.
Costs and acceptance rates round out the picture. SHRM's 2025 benchmarking put the average cost per hire at $5,475 for nonexecutive roles and $35,879 for executives, yet only 20% of organizations track quality of hire. Once an offer is made, about four in five candidates accept: 82% in Gem's data and about 80% at startups using Ashby. Workers themselves are less hopeful, with the New York Fed finding the expected chance of a job offer at 18.0%, the lowest since 2021.
01
US job openings and hires
Chart
US hires per year, 2021 to 2025 (thousands)
Sum of monthly hires, total nonfarm, not seasonally adjusted, in thousands (JOLTS table 17).
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary, January 2026 (with 2025 annual estimates)
View data table
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 76,195 |
| 2022 | 76,832 |
| 2023 | 70,343 |
| 2024 | 64,515 |
| 2025 | 62,972 |
- 17.5 million7.5 million
US employers had 7.5 million job openings on the last business day of September 2026, an openings rate of 4.5%.
OfficialU.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsJob Openings and Labor Turnover Summary, September 2026Nov 2026
- 25.4 million5.4 million
US employers made 5.4 million hires in September 2026.
OfficialU.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsJob Openings and Labor Turnover Summary, September 2026Nov 2026
- 33.4%3.4%
The US hires rate was 3.4% of employment in September 2026.
OfficialU.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsJob Openings and Labor Turnover Summary, September 2026Nov 2026
- 4158,000158,000
Accommodation and food services added 158,000 more hires in September 2026 than in August, the largest industry increase.
OfficialU.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsJob Openings and Labor Turnover Summary, September 2026Nov 2026
- 5104,000104,000
Job openings in US state and local government, excluding education, rose by 104,000 in September 2026.
OfficialU.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsJob Openings and Labor Turnover Summary, September 2026Nov 2026
- 663.0 million63.0 million
US employers made 63.0 million hires across 2025, 1.5 million fewer than in 2024.
OfficialU.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsJob Openings and Labor Turnover Summary, January 2026 (with 2025 annual estimates)Mar 2026
- 77.1 million7.1 million
The US averaged 7.1 million job openings a month in 2025, 571,000 fewer than in 2024.
OfficialU.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsJob Openings and Labor Turnover Summary, January 2026 (with 2025 annual estimates)Mar 2026
- 83.3%3.3%
The average monthly US hires rate was 3.3% in 2025, down from 3.4% in 2024.
OfficialU.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsJob Openings and Labor Turnover Summary, January 2026 (with 2025 annual estimates)Mar 2026
What these figures suggest
US employers had 7.5 million open jobs at the end of September 2026 and made 5.4 million hires during the month, a hires rate of 3.4% of employment. Openings comfortably exceed monthly hires, but both sit well below the 2022 peak. The annual totals show the slowdown more clearly: 63.0 million hires in 2025, down from 76.8 million in 2022, and an average hires rate of 3.3%, the lowest in the five years shown. Monthly JOLTS figures are preliminary and are revised the following month.
02
Hiring momentum from job postings and platform data
Chart
Monthly change in US hiring on LinkedIn by industry, September 2026
Seasonally adjusted change in the LinkedIn hiring rate from August to September 2026, top three industries.
Source LinkedIn, LinkedIn Workforce Report, October 2026
View data table
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Education | 8.5% |
| Retail | 6.7% |
| Administrative and support services | 3.4% |
- 93.2%3.2%
US hiring measured on LinkedIn rose 3.2% from August to September 2026 and 5.1% over two months.
IndustryLinkedInLinkedIn Workforce Report, October 2026Oct 2026
- 103.4%3.4%
US hiring on LinkedIn in September 2026 was 3.4% lower than a year earlier, the smallest annual decline since January.
IndustryLinkedInLinkedIn Workforce Report, October 2026Oct 2026
- 1122.6%22.6%
US hiring on LinkedIn in September 2026 remained 22.6% below its February 2020 level.
IndustryLinkedInLinkedIn Workforce Report, October 2026Oct 2026
- 1213.0%13.0%
Real estate and equipment rental services had the largest annual drop in US hiring on LinkedIn in September 2026, down 13.0%, while only five of 20 industries hired more than a year earlier.
IndustryLinkedInLinkedIn Workforce Report, October 2026Oct 2026
- 13103.8103.8
The Indeed Job Postings Index for the US reached 103.8 on October 16, 2026, almost 4% above its February 2020 level.
IndustryIndeed Hiring LabUS Labor Market Snapshot, October 2026Oct 2026
- 142.8%2.8%
US job postings on Indeed were 2.8% higher in mid October 2026 than a year earlier.
IndustryIndeed Hiring LabUS Labor Market Snapshot, October 2026Oct 2026
- 1568%68%
68% of occupational sectors on Indeed had more US job postings than a year earlier in October 2026, up from 49% at the start of September.
IndustryIndeed Hiring LabUS Labor Market Snapshot, October 2026Oct 2026
- 168.3%8.3%
Hiring across Gem customers was up 8.3% year over year in its 2026 benchmarks, though volumes stayed about 30% below pre-downturn levels.
IndustryGemKey takeaways from the 2026 Recruiting Benchmarks reportDec 2025
What these figures suggest
Private data sources move faster than official surveys and mostly agree that US hiring is flat to slightly improving. LinkedIn's hiring rate rose 3.2% in September 2026 but was still 3.4% below a year earlier and 22.6% below February 2020. Indeed job postings were 2.8% above a year earlier and almost 4% above their prepandemic level, with more occupational sectors improving. Gem's customer data showed hiring up 8.3% year over year at the end of 2025. Each source counts something different: profile updates, online postings or ATS hires, so the direction matters more than the level.
03
Job vacancies in the UK and the EU
Chart
Job vacancy rate by EU country, Q2 2026
Highest and lowest national job vacancy rates, not seasonally adjusted, Q2 2026.
Source Eurostat, Job vacancy statistics, Statistics Explained
View data table
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Netherlands | 4.1% |
| Belgium | 3.3% |
| Malta | 3.1% |
| Austria | 2.9% |
| Spain | 0.9% |
| Slovakia | 0.9% |
| Poland | 0.8% |
| Bulgaria | 0.8% |
| Romania | 0.5% |
- 17691,000691,000
The UK had an estimated 691,000 job vacancies in July to September 2026, down 21,000 on the quarter.
OfficialOffice for National StatisticsVacancies and jobs in the UK: October 2026Oct 2026
- 182.42.4
There were 2.4 unemployed people for every vacancy in the UK in June to August 2026.
OfficialOffice for National StatisticsVacancies and jobs in the UK: October 2026Oct 2026
- 192.1%2.1%
The UK vacancy rate was 2.1% of all jobs in July to September 2026, down 0.1 percentage points on the quarter and on the year.
OfficialOffice for National StatisticsVacancies and jobs in the UK: October 2026Oct 2026
- 2032.8%32.8%
Vacancies at UK businesses with 1 to 9 employees fell by 38,000, or 32.8%, over the year to July to September 2026.
OfficialOffice for National StatisticsVacancies and jobs in the UK: October 2026Oct 2026
- 212.0%2.0%
2.0% of jobs in the EU and 2.1% in the euro area were vacant in Q2 2026.
OfficialEurostatJob vacancy statistics, Statistics ExplainedSep 2026
- 224.1%4.1%
The Netherlands had the highest job vacancy rate in the EU in Q2 2026, at 4.1%.
OfficialEurostatJob vacancy statistics, Statistics ExplainedSep 2026
- 230.5%0.5%
Romania had the lowest job vacancy rate in the EU in Q2 2026, at 0.5%.
OfficialEurostatJob vacancy statistics, Statistics ExplainedSep 2026
- 241515
The job vacancy rate fell in 15 EU member states between Q2 2025 and Q2 2026, rose in 3 and held steady in 8.
OfficialEurostatJob vacancy statistics, Statistics ExplainedSep 2026
What these figures suggest
Vacancies in Britain and the EU are drifting lower. The ONS estimated 691,000 UK vacancies in July to September 2026, the first time below 700,000 since early 2021, with 2.4 unemployed people for each vacancy. The steepest fall was at the smallest firms, where vacancies dropped by about a third in a year. In the EU, 2.0% of jobs were vacant in Q2 2026, with rates ranging from 4.1% in the Netherlands to 0.5% in Romania. Vacancy rates are measured slightly differently in each country, so compare trends rather than exact levels.
04
Job vacancies in Canada and Australia
- 25507,200507,200
Canada had 507,200 job vacancies in August 2026, the eighth month in a row with little change.
OfficialStatistics CanadaPayroll employment, earnings and hours, and job vacancies, August 2026Oct 2026
- 262.92.9
There were 2.9 unemployed people for every job vacancy in Canada in August 2026, down from 3.3 a year earlier.
OfficialStatistics CanadaPayroll employment, earnings and hours, and job vacancies, August 2026Oct 2026
- 274.7%4.7%
Accommodation and food services had Canada's highest job vacancy rate in August 2026, at 4.7%.
OfficialStatistics CanadaPayroll employment, earnings and hours, and job vacancies, August 2026Oct 2026
- 28325,000325,000
Australia had 325,000 job vacancies in August 2026, seasonally adjusted, down 0.9% from May.
OfficialAustralian Bureau of StatisticsJob Vacancies, Australia, August 2026Nov 2026
- 2931.2%31.2%
Australian job vacancies in August 2026 were 31.2% below their May 2022 peak.
OfficialAustralian Bureau of StatisticsJob Vacancies, Australia, August 2026Nov 2026
- 303.8%3.8%
3.8% of Australian businesses said AI had reduced their job vacancies in August 2026, while 81.8% reported no impact.
OfficialAustralian Bureau of StatisticsJob Vacancies, Australia, August 2026Nov 2026
What these figures suggest
Canada's vacancy count has been flat for eight months at about 507,000, with 2.9 unemployed people per vacancy, fewer than a year earlier. Australia's vacancies were 325,000 in August 2026, still 31.2% below the May 2022 peak. The Australian Bureau of Statistics also began asking employers about artificial intelligence: only 3.8% said AI had reduced their vacancies, while most reported no effect.
05
Time to hire and cost per hire
Chart
Average cost per hire in the US, 2025
Average cost per hire from SHRM's 2025 Recruiting benchmarking survey of US organizations.
Source SHRM, SHRM Releases 2025 Benchmarking Reports: How Does Your Organization Compare?
View data table
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Nonexecutive hire | $5,475 |
| Executive hire | $35,879 |
- 31$5,475$5,475
US employers spent an average of $5,475 per nonexecutive hire in SHRM's 2025 benchmarking survey.
IndustrySHRMSHRM Releases 2025 Benchmarking Reports: How Does Your Organization Compare?Oct 2025
- 32$35,879$35,879
The average cost per executive hire was $35,879 in SHRM's 2025 benchmarking survey.
IndustrySHRMSHRM Releases 2025 Benchmarking Reports: How Does Your Organization Compare?Oct 2025
- 33113%113%
Executive cost per hire rose 113% between 2017 and 2025, according to SHRM benchmarking.
IndustrySHRMExec Recruiting Costs Are Surging: 8 Ways to Slash SpendSep 2025
- 3420%20%
Only 20% of organizations in SHRM's 2025 benchmarking track quality of hire.
IndustrySHRMSHRM Releases 2025 Benchmarking Reports: How Does Your Organization Compare?Oct 2025
- 358 to 9 days8 to 9 days
Screening and interviewing each take 8 to 9 days on average in the hiring process, according to SHRM's 2025 benchmarking.
IndustrySHRMSHRM Releases 2025 Benchmarking Reports: How Does Your Organization Compare?Oct 2025
- 3630 days30 days
Business roles at Ashby customers had a median time to hire of 30 days, measured from application to accepted offer, in data through March 2026.
IndustryAshbyRecruiter Productivity, 2026 Talent Trends ReportApr 2026
- 3740 days40 days
Technical roles at Ashby customers had a median time to hire of 40 days in data through March 2026.
IndustryAshbyRecruiter Productivity, 2026 Talent Trends ReportApr 2026
- 3856 days56 days
The median time to fill a newly opened role was 56 days for business roles and 76 days for technical roles at Ashby customers.
IndustryAshbyRecruiter Productivity, 2026 Talent Trends ReportApr 2026
- 3935 days35 days
Half of hires at Ashby customers in Europe, the Middle East and Africa were made within 35 days in the past year, against a 34 day median in the Americas.
IndustryAshbyEMEA Recruiter Productivity, Talent Trends ReportSep 2026
What these figures suggest
Filling a role typically takes four to eight weeks. Ashby data put the median time from application to accepted offer at 30 days for business roles and 40 days for technical roles, and the time to fill a newly opened role at 56 and 76 days. SHRM's 2025 benchmarking put the average cost per hire at $5,475 for nonexecutive roles and $35,879 for executives, and found executive costs more than doubled since 2017. Cost per hire covers advertising, agency and recruiter costs, not the lost output of an empty seat, and few employers measure whether hires work out.
06
Applicants per role and screening
- 40300300
Every hire at Ashby customers required more than 300 applications on average throughout 2025.
IndustryAshbyRecruiter Productivity, 2026 Talent Trends ReportApr 2026
- 4193%93%
Recruiters using Gem handled 93% more applications than in 2021.
IndustryGemKey takeaways from the 2026 Recruiting Benchmarks reportDec 2025
- 420.5%0.5%
Only 0.5% of applicants received an offer in Gem's 2026 benchmarks, roughly one hire per 200 applications, and 8% passed initial screening.
IndustryGemKey takeaways from the 2026 Recruiting Benchmarks reportDec 2025
- 4333%33%
The average number of interviews per hire rose 33% between 2021 and 2025, according to Gem.
IndustryGemKey takeaways from the 2026 Recruiting Benchmarks reportDec 2025
- 4481%81%
81% of US job seekers surveyed by Greenhouse in 2026 had been rejected in the past year without speaking to anyone at the company.
IndustryGreenhouse6 in 10 Job Seekers Are Rethinking How They Write to Avoid Sounding Like AI, Even as Most Use It in Their SearchOct 2026
- 457%7%
Fewer than 7% of applicants ever get an interview, and 86% of US recruiters say at least half of applications are written with AI, according to Greenhouse research.
IndustryGreenhouseGreenhouse launches the Orchestrated Hiring Ecosystem to break AI's hiring doom loopOct 2026
- 4645%45%
45% of US candidates who interviewed in the past year said they were ghosted by the employer.
IndustryGreenhouse6 in 10 Job Seekers Are Rethinking How They Write to Avoid Sounding Like AI, Even as Most Use It in Their SearchOct 2026
- 4738%38%
38% of US candidates have withdrawn from a hiring process because it included an AI interview.
IndustryGreenhouse2026 Candidate AI Interview ReportApr 2026
- 4842%42%
42% of US high-volume and frontline employers said their 2026 recruiting needs came in higher than forecast.
IndustryiCIMSThe New Reality of Frontline Hiring in 2026Aug 2026
What these figures suggest
Application volume per hire has roughly tripled since 2021. Ashby customers needed more than 300 applications per hire through 2025, and Gem found recruiters handling 93% more applications than in 2021, with only 0.5% of applicants receiving an offer. Candidates feel the other side of this: in Greenhouse's 2026 survey, 81% of US job seekers had been rejected without speaking to anyone and fewer than 7% of applicants reach an interview. AI tools on both sides add volume and distrust. These figures come from ATS vendors' customer bases, which skew toward tech companies and startups.
07
Offer acceptance and job seeker expectations
- 4982%82%
82% of candidates who reached the offer stage accepted in Gem's 2026 benchmarks, the highest rate since 2021.
IndustryGemKey takeaways from the 2026 Recruiting Benchmarks reportDec 2025
- 5080%80%
Offer acceptance rates at venture-backed startups using Ashby were about 80%.
IndustryAshbyThe State of Startup Hiring, 2026 Talent Trends ReportFeb 2026
- 519%9%
Remote roles at startups using Ashby had a 9% higher offer acceptance rate than in-office roles.
IndustryAshbyThe State of Startup Hiring, 2026 Talent Trends ReportFeb 2026
- 5218.0%18.0%
US respondents put their average chance of receiving at least one job offer in the next four months at 18.0% in July 2026, the lowest since March 2021.
IndustryFederal Reserve Bank of New YorkSCE Labor Market Survey, July 2026Aug 2026
- 53$88,387$88,387
The lowest annual wage US respondents would accept for a new job reached a series high of $88,387 in July 2026.
IndustryFederal Reserve Bank of New YorkSCE Labor Market Survey, July 2026Aug 2026
- 5424.9%24.9%
24.9% of US respondents had searched for a job in the past four weeks in July 2026, up from 22.5% in March.
IndustryFederal Reserve Bank of New YorkSCE Labor Market Survey, July 2026Aug 2026
What these figures suggest
Once a candidate reaches the offer stage, most say yes. Gem measured an 82% offer acceptance rate, its highest since 2021, and Ashby found about 80% at startups, with remote roles accepted more often. Workers are less optimistic about getting offers at all: the New York Fed's July 2026 survey found the expected chance of receiving a job offer at 18.0%, the lowest since 2021, while the lowest pay people would accept for a new job hit a record $88,387.
About these figures
Figures come from national statistical offices (BLS, ONS, Eurostat, Statistics Canada, the Australian Bureau of Statistics), the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, SHRM's benchmarking surveys, the labor market research teams at LinkedIn and Indeed, and the published reports of hiring software companies (Ashby, Gem, Greenhouse, iCIMS). Every quote was checked against the publisher's page. Vendor data cover each company's own customers, which lean toward technology firms and startups, and define time to hire, applications per hire and offer acceptance in their own ways, so they are not directly comparable with each other or with government surveys. Vacancy rates also differ in definition between countries. Monthly official figures are preliminary and often revised.
Every figure was taken from the publisher's own page, together with the sentence it appears in, and that sentence is re-checked against the source before each update. Where a survey covers a specific group, the figure says so. Read the methodology. Spotted a problem? Email editorial@mojolin.com.
Frequently asked questions
+How many job openings are there in the US?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics counted 7.5 million job openings at the end of September 2026, an openings rate of 4.5%. Across 2025 openings averaged 7.1 million a month, 571,000 fewer than in 2024.
+How long does it take to hire someone?
Ashby's 2026 data put the median time from application to accepted offer at 30 days for business roles and 40 days for technical roles. Filling a newly opened role took a median of 56 and 76 days. SHRM found screening and interviewing alone take 8 to 9 days each.
+What is the average cost per hire?
SHRM's 2025 benchmarking survey put the average cost per hire at $5,475 for nonexecutive roles and $35,879 for executive roles. Executive cost per hire has risen 113% since 2017.
+How many applicants does each job get?
Ashby customers needed more than 300 applications per hire on average throughout 2025, roughly triple the 2021 level. Gem found that only 0.5% of applicants receive an offer, about one hire per 200 applications.
+What is a typical offer acceptance rate?
About four in five offers are accepted. Gem measured 82% in its 2026 benchmarks, the highest since 2021, and Ashby found about 80% at venture-backed startups, with remote roles accepted 9% more often than in-office roles.
+Is hiring slowing down?
Official data show a slow market rather than a collapse. US hires fell to 63.0 million in 2025, the hires rate averaged 3.3%, and LinkedIn hiring in September 2026 was 3.4% below a year earlier. UK vacancies fell to 691,000 and the EU vacancy rate slipped to 2.0%.
Sources
19 primary sources, by publisher
- 01Industry Ashby. EMEA Recruiter Productivity, Talent Trends Report (Sep 2026)
- 02Industry Ashby. Recruiter Productivity, 2026 Talent Trends Report (Apr 2026)
- 03Industry Ashby. The State of Startup Hiring, 2026 Talent Trends Report (Feb 2026)
- 04Official Australian Bureau of Statistics. Job Vacancies, Australia, August 2026 (Nov 2026)
- 05Official Eurostat. Job vacancy statistics, Statistics Explained (Sep 2026)
- 06Industry Federal Reserve Bank of New York. SCE Labor Market Survey, July 2026 (Aug 2026)
- 07Industry Gem. Key takeaways from the 2026 Recruiting Benchmarks report (Dec 2025)
- 08Industry Greenhouse. 2026 Candidate AI Interview Report (Apr 2026)
- 09Industry Greenhouse. 6 in 10 Job Seekers Are Rethinking How They Write to Avoid Sounding Like AI, Even as Most Use It in Their Search (Oct 2026)
- 10Industry Greenhouse. Greenhouse launches the Orchestrated Hiring Ecosystem to break AI's hiring doom loop (Oct 2026)
- 11Industry iCIMS. The New Reality of Frontline Hiring in 2026 (Aug 2026)
- 12Industry Indeed Hiring Lab. US Labor Market Snapshot, October 2026 (Oct 2026)
- 13Industry LinkedIn. LinkedIn Workforce Report, October 2026 (Oct 2026)
- 14Official Office for National Statistics. Vacancies and jobs in the UK: October 2026 (Oct 2026)
- 15Industry SHRM. Exec Recruiting Costs Are Surging: 8 Ways to Slash Spend (Sep 2025)
- 16Industry SHRM. SHRM Releases 2025 Benchmarking Reports: How Does Your Organization Compare? (Oct 2025)
- 17Official Statistics Canada. Payroll employment, earnings and hours, and job vacancies, August 2026 (Oct 2026)
- 18Official U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary, January 2026 (with 2025 annual estimates) (Mar 2026)
- 19Official U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary, September 2026 (Nov 2026)