The Albany Gazette - LHH Maps Where Laid-Off Workers Move Next: New Data on 418,000 Layoffs Shows 58% Pivot to New Job Functions

NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / September 16, 2026 / A majority of workers who lose their jobs do not return to the same job function, and newly released proprietary data from LHH, the global outplacement leader and business unit of the Adecco Group, reveals where they go instead. Analysis of more than 418,000 individuals supported by LHH outplacement programs after losing their jobs shows that 58% moved into entirely new roles or careers, a level of displacement that has held steady since 2022. The finding points to a labor market where career transition is built into working life rather than triggered by isolated shocks.

The research provides a way to read displacement data as an outline of where displaced workers can realistically pivot and move next. By tracking the roles people leave and the destination roles they enter, LHH gives employers a practical starting point for redeploying talent rather than losing it and rehiring later at a premium.

KEY POINTS

• Career pivot data turns this movement into a plan by mapping transferable skills, likely destination roles, and the specific gaps to close.

EXECUTIVE QUOTE

"Displacement data is usually treated as a list of jobs that are disappearing. Read differently, it is a map of where people can go next. For example, when you can see that customer operations talent moves naturally into sales, supply chain, and project management roles, redeployment stops being guesswork. Career pivot data gives employers and employees that line of sight: the transferable skills already in place, the realistic next roles, and the specific gaps worth closing. Used well, it keeps skilled people in the business and spares the cost of rehiring for what you already had." John Morgan, President of Career Transition & Mobility at LHH

Understanding Career Pivot Data

LHH's displacement data tracks how individuals move out of roles and into different functions, reflecting the role transformation of more than 418,000 laid-off employees supported through outplacement and transition services. A high displacement rate signals a role being displaced or significantly reshaped. A low displacement rate, or high retention, signals role continuity. This data can be used to map pathways to redeployment opportunities.

The pathways begin by helping individuals understand their transferable skills and the realistic routes open to them based on experience, then layer in where demand is growing and which adjacent roles offer long-term opportunity. In this framing, AI works alongside people, pairing data and human judgment to guide and accelerate the move into new roles.

The Roles Losing the Most People

The roles experiencing the highest displacement are customer operations (90% displacement), logistics coordinators (87%), and office assistants (86%), then project coordinators (86%), food service roles (86%), customer service representatives (86%) and manufacturing process improvement roles (85%). Most combine tasks that can be automated, such as scheduling, documentation, and coordination, with work that requires human judgment, escalation, and relationship management. As routine tasks are absorbed, the roles are being reconfigured rather than eliminated.

LHH displacement data reflects the share of laid-off individuals transitioning from one occupation into a different role or function.

Mobility Is Global, but the Pace Differs

Across every market where LHH operates, more than half of workers in transition move into new roles. In the first half of 2025, pivot rates reached 71% in Germany, 68% in Spain, and 62% in France. The global average stands at 58%, with the United States at 57% and India at 54%. Where pivot rates run high, the data points to active restructuring and faster resolution of skills mismatches; where they run lower, it points to more settled industry structures or a slower pace of change.

The Reinvention Gap: Workers Are Expected to Adapt Without the Tools to Do It

Mobility is now widespread, but the ability to navigate it is uneven. LHH survey data shows that 53% of workers would like to change roles but do not know how, and 56% worry their skills are not current for future opportunities. 51% express concern about job security. At the same time, 57% believe leadership lacks a long-term skills strategy, and only 15% to 20% of workers are aware of redeployment opportunities, training, coaching, or mentoring available to them. Interviews with 847 LHH career transition coaches, conducted in April 2026, show candidate confidence in the job search has declined over the past six months. Demand for coaching support has risen 71%, driven largely by external conditions such as longer hiring processes and heavier competition for open roles.

What This Means for Employers

As more workers transition into entirely new roles, workforce strategy has to account for how people move across roles, organizations, and industries over time. Research from the Adecco Group found that 61% of organizations struggle to transition workers into new roles, with 55% citing rapidly shifting skills requirements as a key barrier. Given this data on occupational pathways and employee mobility, organizations that make transition easy will have an advantage in retaining and attracting top talent. The direct implication is that career transition support can no longer begin at the point of exit. It belongs inside workforce planning, alongside hiring, internal mobility, and reskilling.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does displacement data tell us about career pivots?

Displacement data can be used to map where workers leaving a given role realistically move next, given the individual's transferable skills and experience. By layering in where demand is growing and which adjacent roles offer long-term opportunity, employers and workers can target roles that are both attainable and future-relevant. The approach pairs AI with human judgment to guide and accelerate redeployment, using data to surface career paths and helping people to navigate them.

Which roles face the highest job displacement?

Displacement concentrates in operational and coordination roles: customer operations, logistics coordination, office and project support, food service, and manufacturing process improvement all show that the large majority of people move out of the role after transition. These roles tend to combine routine tasks like scheduling and documentation with work that still needs human judgment, so they are being reshaped rather than simply removed.

Which roles retain the most people?

Software developers show the highest continuity, with 65% staying in the field after transition, then corporate attorneys (61%), HR coordinators (60%), accounting professionals (57%), and digital designers (57%). Even in these roles, between a third and nearly half of workers move into different functions, so the pathway runs toward expansion into adjacent work rather than a full role change.

Where do displaced workers typically move next?

Displaced workers tend to move into adjacent commercial, operational, and project-based roles that draw on skills they already hold. Mapping those destination roles for a given function, then identifying the transferable skills in place and the gaps to close, is what turns displacement data into a workable redeployment plan.

How much do pivot rates vary by country?

In the first half of 2025, pivot rates reached 71% in Germany, 68% in Spain, and 62% in France. The global average is 58%, with the United States at 57% and India at 54%.

What should employers do differently?

Move career transition support out of the exit moment and into workforce planning, alongside hiring, internal mobility, and reskilling. With 61% of organizations struggling to transition workers into new roles, the displacement-and-destination data gives employers a concrete starting point: identify likely next roles, map transferable skills already in place, and focus upskilling on the gaps that matter most.

Have you recently experienced a career transition?

LHH Career Transition services help individuals navigate career change with greater clarity, confidence, and direction. Combining innovative technology with expert, personalized coaching, LHH supports talent in identifying new career pathways aligned with their skills and experience, strengthening CVs and online profiles, developing actionable career plans, and preparing effectively for the job market.

Individuals impacted by workforce restructuring, redundancy, or layoffs may be eligible for career transition support through their employer. To learn more about LHH's Career Transition services and eligibility requirements, visit register.lhh.com.

Read the full research: The 2026 Career Pivot Report

More from the Mobility Breakdown Content Series

About the Data

LHH displacement data reflects the role transformation of more than 418,000 laid-off employees supported through LHH outplacement and transition services and is drawn from the LHH 2026 Redeployment and Outplacement Trends Report. Displacement rate refers to the share of laid-off individuals leaving a specific role and moving into different roles or functions. Regional pivot rates cover the first half of 2025. Additional context draws on the LHH 2026 Workforce Agility Study and an April 2026 survey of 847 LHH career transition coaches.

About LHH

LHH empowers professionals and organizations to achieve bold ambitions and secure lasting impact through unique advisory services and professional talent solutions.

LHH's full suite of offerings connects solutions, making LHH a single talent partner for organizations. In a rapidly evolving landscape with complex challenges, we create value across the entire professional talent journey. From advising organizational change, to hiring great people, developing skills and nurturing leaders, to advancing individuals to the next stage of their careers, LHH makes talent a competitive edge.

We believe the future of work lies at the intersection of exceptional human care and innovation. Powered by science, technology, and proprietary data analytics, LHH's approach is crafted to align with business strategies and cultures, delivering powerful, sustainable, and measurable impact.

LHH has a team of over 12,000 professionals, across 60+ countries and more than 50 years of experience. As part of the Adecco Group, we bring together global excellence, local knowledge and centralized coordination for thousands of companies and millions of people worldwide.

To learn more about LHH, visit lhh.com.

Media Contact:

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SOURCE: LHH

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(F.Jackson--TAG)