Accenture reported a net addition of 2,741 employees in the second quarter (Q2) of fiscal 2026, taking its total global headcount to 7,86,432. The company had added a comparable number in Q1 as well, bringing total first-half additions to over 7,000. This is a marked contrast to the leaner workforce periods of the past two years.
The results showed Q2 revenue of $18 billion, growing 4% in local currency terms. The company also revised its full-year revenue growth outlook upward to a range of 3 to 5%. CFO Angie Park confirmed on the earnings call that headcount growth is expected to accelerate further in the second half of the fiscal year, driven by improving demand visibility.
Chair and CEO Julie Sweet noted that Accenture now has over 85,000 AI and data professionals, exceeding its earlier target of 80,000 by fiscal year-end. The company also reported 13 million training hours completed by employees in Q2 alone, with 1,92,000 employees having completed an Agentic AI Fundamentals programme co-created with Stanford’s Institute for Human-Centred AI.
The hiring trajectory is particularly significant for India, where Accenture maintains one of its largest delivery and talent bases globally. Analysts tracking India’s IT sector have noted that Accenture’s headcount trends often serve as a leading indicator of broader hiring recovery across the professional services landscape.
