ZipRecruiter (ZIP) Goldman Sachs Communacopia + Technology Conference 2026 summary

Recent business performance and macro environment

• Hiring stabilized in 2026 at decade-low levels, but growth has resumed due to recent product improvements.

• Businesses report strong performance and profitability but remain cautious about hiring due to economic uncertainty.

• Labor market faces skilled talent shortages, partly from immigration policy and demographic shifts.

• AI is seen as a productivity booster, not a threat, with over 90% of surveyed businesses adopting it and 35% planning to increase hiring.

Product strategy and AI integration

• Growth is driven by product enhancements over the past nine months, especially those increasing employer-job seeker conversations.

• AI has accelerated feature development and reduced R&D investment, with new search and Smart Outreach products improving matching and engagement.

• The new search platform increased qualified candidates by 34% and doubled employer response rates.

• AI is used for algorithmic matching and outreach, not for chatbot interfaces.

Market dynamics and customer segments

• Both SMB and enterprise segments are growing, with a steady shift toward greater enterprise penetration (now 24% enterprise, up from 22% last year).

• No significant hiring rebound yet from either SMBs or enterprises; macro stabilization is at low levels.

• LLMs like ChatGPT and Claude are now a major and highly engaged source of job seeker traffic.