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What do contractors really want from work in 2026?
New CXC research reveals how cost-of-living pressures, flexibility, AI, job security and changing career expectations are shaping the contractor experience.
We surveyed contractors across Australia, Asia, LATAM and EMEA to understand what matters most to them today, and what could influence whether they choose to continue contracting in the years ahead.
Download the 2026 CXC Contractor Survey Report
Contractors still value contracting. But expectations are changing.
Flexibility remains one of the biggest attractions of contracting. Most contractors feel included in their client teams. Many are confident using AI. And more than half of respondents in every region still see contracting as a sustainable long-term career.
But the research also reveals growing pressures.
Rising living costs are putting contractor finances under strain. Uncertainty around contract renewals is contributing to anxiety. AI is raising questions about future opportunities. And a sizeable proportion of contractors remain unsure whether they see themselves contracting in three to five years.
For employers that rely on contingent talent, understanding what sits behind these decisions is increasingly important.
The 2026 CXC Contractor Survey Report provides the data and regional insights to help you do just that.
What you’ll discover in the report
The 2026 CXC Contractor Survey Report examines the contractor experience across four global regions and explores the issues shaping how contractors think about work, including:
- Cost of living: How financial pressures are affecting contractors – and why employers may not always see the warning signs.
- Flexibility: Whether one of contracting’s biggest advantages carries the same weight when financial security is under pressure.
- Anxiety and psychological safety: Why contractors can feel safe and supported in their current role while still worrying about what comes next.
- Contractor inclusion: Where contractors feel part of the team, and the practical barriers that can leave others feeling disconnected.
- AI and the future of work: How confident contractors are using AI, and what concerns them about its potential impact on future opportunities.
- Contracting as a career: Whether contractors see a long-term future in this way of working, and what could influence their decision to stay.
You’ll also find regional comparisons and practical recommendations for employers looking to attract, engage and retain contingent talent in a changing workforce.
Four regions. One changing contractor workforce.
Contractors around the world face many of the same pressures. But they don’t necessarily experience them in the same way.
The report compares contractor sentiment across Australia, Asia, LATAM and EMEA, highlighting shared priorities alongside important regional differences in financial pressure, flexibility, workplace experience, AI and long-term career expectations.
For organisations managing contingent talent across multiple markets, understanding these differences can help inform more effective workforce decisions.
Understand what matters to contractors in 2026
The way contractors experience work can influence whether they accept an assignment, stay engaged and ultimately choose to continue contracting.
The report looks beyond individual workplace issues to explore how financial security, flexibility, inclusion, technology and career confidence intersect.
Discover what contractors told us about:
- The pressures affecting their working lives
- What they continue to value about contracting
- Where uncertainty is influencing their outlook
- How attitudes differ across global regions
- What employers can do to strengthen the contractor experience
A report for anyone responsible for contingent talent
Whether you work in talent acquisition, HR, procurement, workforce strategy or contingent workforce management, this report gives you a clearer view of what contractors are experiencing and what they increasingly expect from the organisations they work with.
Use the findings and recommendations to inform your approach to contractor attraction, engagement, retention and workforce planning in 2026 and beyond.
Build a contractor experience people want to stay for
Contractors continue to value the freedom and flexibility this way of working can provide. But financial pressures, uncertainty and changing technology are influencing how they think about what comes next.
See what contractors across Australia, Asia, LATAM and EMEA told us about work, flexibility, financial pressure, AI and their future careers, and what the findings could mean for your contingent workforce strategy.
Download the 2026 CXC Contractor Survey Report
About CXC
At CXC, we want to help you grow your business with flexible, contingent talent. But we also understand that managing a contingent workforce can be complicated, costly and time-consuming. Through our MSP solution, we can help you to fulfil all of your contingent hiring needs, including temp employees, independent contractors and SOW workers. And if your needs change? No problem. Our flexible solution is designed to scale up and down to match our clients’ requirements.
