ROBERT HALF INC. (RHI)

ITEM 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Certain information contained in Management’s Discussion and Analysis and in other parts of this report may be deemed forward-looking statements regarding events and financial trends that may affect the future operating results or financial positions of Robert Half Inc. (the “Company”). Forward-looking statements are not guarantees or promises that goals or targets will be met. These statements may be identified by words such as “anticipate,” “potential,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “target,” “project,” “plan,” “intend,” “believe,” “expect,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “may,” “might,” “will,” or variations or negatives thereof or by similar or comparable words or phrases. In addition, historical, current and forward-looking information about the Company’s corporate responsibility and compliance programs, including targets or goals, may not be considered material for the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) or other mandatory reporting purposes and may be based on standards for measuring progress that are still developing; on internal controls, diligence or processes that are evolving; on representations reviewed or provided by third parties; and on assumptions that are subject to change in the future. Forward-looking statements are estimates only and are based on management’s current expectations, currently available information and current strategy, plans or forecasts, and involve certain known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict, often beyond the Company’s control and are inherently uncertain. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and outcomes, or the timing of these results or outcomes, to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the following: changes to or new interpretations of United States of America (“U.S.”) or international tax regulations; the global financial and economic situation; changes in levels of unemployment and other economic conditions in the U.S. or foreign countries where the Company does business, or in particular regions or industries; reduction in the supply of candidates for contract employment or the Company’s ability to attract candidates; the development, proliferation and adoption of artificial intelligence (“AI”) by the Company and the third parties it serves; the entry of new competitors into the marketplace or expansion by existing competitors; the ability of the Company to maintain existing client relationships and attract new clients in the context of changing economic or competitive conditions; the impact of competitive pressures, including any change in the demand for the Company’s services, or the Company’s ability to maintain its margins; the possibility of the Company incurring liability for its activities, including the activities of its engagement professionals, or for events impacting its engagement professionals on clients’ premises; the possibility that adverse publicity could impact the Company’s ability to attract and retain clients and candidates; the success of the Company in attracting, training and retaining qualified management personnel and other staff employees; the Company’s ability to comply with governmental regulations affecting personnel services businesses in particular or employer/employee relationships in general; whether there will be ongoing demand for Sarbanes-Oxley or other regulatory compliance services; the Company’s reliance on short-term contracts for a significant percentage of its business; litigation relating to prior or current transactions or activities, including litigation that may be disclosed from time to time in the Company’s SEC filings; the impact of extreme weather conditions on the Company and its candidates and clients; the ability of the Company to manage its international operations and comply with foreign laws and regulations; the impact of fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; the possibility that the additional costs the Company will incur as a result of health care or other reform legislation may adversely affect the Company’s profit margins or the demand for the Company’s services; the possibility that the Company’s computer and communications hardware and software systems could be damaged or their service interrupted or that the Company could experience a cybersecurity breach; and the possibility that the Company may fail to maintain adequate financial and management controls, and as a result suffer errors in its financial reporting. Additionally, with respect to Protiviti, other risks and uncertainties include the fact that future success will depend on its ability to retain employees and attract clients; there can be no assurance that there will be ongoing demand for broad-based consulting, regulatory compliance, technology services, public sector or other high-demand advisory services; failure to produce projected revenues could adversely affect financial results; and there is the possibility of involvement in litigation relating to prior or current transactions or activities. Because long-term contracts are not a significant part of the Company’s business, future results cannot be reliably predicted by considering past trends or extrapolating past results. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update information in this report, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, and notwithstanding any historical practice of doing so.

Executive Overview

The Company’s service revenues for the first half of 2026 were $2.64 billion, a decrease of 3.1% from the prior year. Net income was $40 million, and diluted net income per share was $0.40. Although the Company’s results were impacted by the ongoing macroeconomic uncertainty that affected client and candidate confidence, we believe market conditions are becoming increasingly conducive to our business. As confidence continues to improve, even modest increases in hiring activity can drive incremental demand for our services.

21

Protiviti is navigating continued shifts in the financial services regulatory enforcement environment in the U.S. This shift is influencing the nature of its work, with relatively fewer large-scale regulatory remediation engagements and increased demand for efficiency-oriented solutions, including the application of advanced technologies.

Demand for the Company’s contract talent solutions, permanent placement talent solutions and Protiviti is largely dependent upon general economic and labor trends, both domestically and abroad. The U.S. real gross domestic product increased at an annual rate of 1.5% during the second quarter 2026, compared to an increase of 2.0% during the first quarter of 2026.

The U.S. job market remains resilient with overall unemployment at 4.2%, as of June 30, 2026. Labor supply constraints remain. Particularly noteworthy is that the unemployment rate for college-educated professionals is holding steady at just 2.7%, with even lower rates prevailing among specialized accounting, finance and technology roles. Broader labor market indicators continue to point to underlying demand for skilled talent, and job openings continue to run above historical averages. While clients continue to approach hiring thoughtfully, the Company sees steady progress in client interactions and activity. These interactions suggest that clients remain resilient, although geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainty persists, and inflation remains a concern including the potential effects of escalating tensions in the Middle East. Organizations continue to focus on initiatives that drive productivity, growth and long-term competitiveness which contributes to ongoing demand for the Company’s services.

The Company continues to invest in technology and innovation, including AI. Major focus areas include providing a world-class digital experience for clients and candidates that is seamlessly connected to the Company’s specialized professional recruiters. Also, the Company will continue to leverage its proprietary data assets to enhance the AI tools its recruiters use to discover, assess and select talent for its clients, and the AI tools recruiters use to effectively target leads for additional revenue. Protiviti continues to invest in and deploy AI-enabled solutions by integrating AI into its existing offerings while aiming to enhance its own AI infrastructure.

Artificial intelligence continues to complement – not replace – the work performed by the professionals the Company places. The Company is also seeing growing demand for candidates who combine deep domain expertise with AI fluency and the judgment required to apply these technologies effectively and responsibly, including verifying the accuracy of their outcomes. The rapid adoption of generative AI by job seekers has also changed the recruiting landscape, increasing application volumes and making candidate evaluation more complex. This underscores the importance of the Company's proprietary candidate insights, specialized recruiting expertise and proven ability to identify highly-skilled talent.

The Company monitors various economic indicators and business trends in all of the countries in which it operates to anticipate demand for the Company’s services. These trends are evaluated to determine the appropriate level of investment, including personnel, which will best position the Company for success in the current and future global macroeconomic environment. The Company’s investments in headcount are typically structured to proactively support and align with expected revenue growth trends and productivity metrics. Visibility into future revenues is limited not only due to the dependence on macroeconomic and labor market conditions noted above, but also because of the relatively short duration of the Company’s client engagements. Accordingly, the Company’s headcount and other investments are typically assessed on at least a quarterly basis. During the first half of 2026, the Company’s headcount remained relatively flat for its contract talent solutions segment, as well as administrative headcount, when compared to prior year-end levels, while its permanent placement talent solutions segment and Protiviti headcount decreased.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

The Company’s most critical accounting policies and estimates are those that involve subjective decisions or assessments and are included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025. There were no material changes to the Company’s critical accounting policies or estimates for the six months ended June 30, 2026.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

See Note B—“New Accounting Pronouncements” to the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements included under Part I—Item 1 of this report.

22

Results of Operations

The Company analyzes its operating results for three reportable segments: contract talent solutions, permanent placement talent solutions and Protiviti. The contract talent solutions and permanent placement talent solutions segments provide engagement professionals and full-time personnel, respectively, for finance and accounting, technology, marketing and creative, legal, administrative and customer support, and executive search. The Protiviti segment provides internal audit, risk, business and technology consulting solutions.

Demand for the Company’s services is largely dependent upon global economic and labor trends. Because of the inherent difficulty in predicting economic trends, future demand for the Company’s services cannot be forecast with certainty.

The Company’s talent solutions segments conduct operations through offices in the U.S. and 18 other countries, while Protiviti has

[Excerpt truncated for page length; source filing is linked above.]

Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Certain information contained in Management’s Discussion and Analysis and in other parts of this report may be deemed forward-looking statements regarding events and financial trends that may affect the future operating results or financial positions of Robert Half Inc. (the “Company”). Forward-looking statements are not guarantees or promises that goals or targets will be met. These statements may be identified by words such as “anticipate,” “potential,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “target,” “project,” “plan,” “intend,” “believe,” “expect,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “may,” “might,” “will,” or variations or negatives thereof or by similar or comparable words or phrases. In addition, historical, current and forward-looking information about the Company’s corporate responsibility and compliance programs, including targets or goals, may not be considered material for the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) or other mandatory reporting purposes and may be based on standards for measuring progress that are still developing; on internal controls, diligence or processes that are evolving; on representations reviewed or provided by third parties; and on assumptions that are subject to change in the future. Forward-looking statements are estimates only and are based on management’s current expectations, currently available information, and current strategy, plans or forecasts, and involve certain known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict, often beyond the Company’s control and are inherently uncertain. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and outcomes, or the timing of these results or outcomes, to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the following: changes to or new interpretations of United States of America (“U.S.”) or international tax regulations; the global financial and economic situation; changes in levels of unemployment and other economic conditions in the U.S. or foreign countries where the Company does business, or in particular regions or industries; reduction in the supply of candidates for contract employment or the Company’s ability to attract candidates; the development, proliferation and adoption of artificial intelligence (“AI”) by the Company and the third parties it serves; the entry of new competitors into the marketplace or expansion by existing competitors; the ability of the Company to maintain existing client relationships and attract new clients in the context of changing economic or competitive conditions; the impact of competitive pressures, including any change in the demand for the Company’s services, or the Company’s ability to maintain its margins; the possibility of the Company incurring liability for its activities, including the activities of its engagement professionals, or for events impacting its engagement professionals on clients’ premises; the possibility that adverse publicity could impact the Company’s ability to attract and retain clients and candidates; the success of the Company in attracting, training and retaining qualified management personnel and other staff employees; the Company’s ability to comply with governmental regulations affecting personnel services businesses in particular or employer/employee relationships in general; whether there will be ongoing demand for Sarbanes-Oxley or other regulatory compliance services; the Company’s reliance on short-term contracts for a significant percentage of its business; litigation relating to prior or current transactions or activities, including litigation that may be disclosed from time to time in the Company’s SEC filings; the impact of extreme weather conditions on the Company and its candidates and clients; the ability of the Company to manage its international operations and comply with foreign laws and regulations; the impact of fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; the possibility that the additional costs the Company will incur as a result of health care or other reform legislation may adversely affect the Company’s profit margins or the demand for the Company’s services; the possibility that the Company’s computer and communications hardware and software systems could be damaged or their service interrupted, or that the Company could experience a cybersecurity breach; and the possibility that the Company may fail to maintain adequate financial and management controls, and as a result suffer errors in its financial reporting. Additionally, with respect to Protiviti, other risks and uncertainties include the fact that future success will depend on its ability to retain employees and attract clients; there can be no assurance that there will be ongoing demand for broad-based consulting, regulatory compliance, technology services, public sector or other high-demand advisory services; failure to produce projected revenues could adversely affect financial results; and there is the possibility of involvement in litigation relating to prior or current transactions or activities. Because long-term contracts are not a significant part of the Company’s business, future results cannot be reliably predicted by considering past trends or extrapolating past results. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update information in this report, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, and notwithstanding any historical practice of doing so.

Executive Overview

The Company’s service revenues were $5.38 billion in 2025, a decrease of 7.2% from the prior year. Full-year 2025 net income decreased 47.1% to $133 million and diluted net income per share decreased 45.5% to $1.33. The Company’s results were impacted by the ongoing macroeconomic uncertainty that affects client and candidate confidence, lengthening decision cycles and delaying hiring activities and projects in the short term.

20

Demand for the Company’s contract talent solutions, permanent placement talent solutions and Protiviti is largely dependent upon general economic and labor trends both domestically and abroad. The U.S. real gross domestic product increased at an annual rate of 4.4% in the third quarter of 2025 (the latest information available as of the date of this filing), compared to an increase of 2.3% in 2024. Concerns around a near-term economic downturn have moderated, supported by a more conducive macro environment. Continued progress in the rate-cutting cycle, easing inflation, less regulation and relatively more clarity on trade policy all contribute.

The U.S. job market remains resilient with overall unemployment at 4.4% in December 2025, up from 4.1% in December 2024. Particularly noteworthy is that the unemployment rate for college-educated professionals is holding steady at just 2.8%, with even lower rates prevailing among specialized accounting, finance and technology roles. Although current hiring and quit rates remain subdued and well below post-Covid highs, job openings continue to be well above historical levels, indicating strong pent-up hiring demand.

The Company continues to invest in technology and innovation, including AI. Major focus areas include providing a world-class digital experience for clients and candidates that is seamlessly connected to the Company’s specialized professional recruiters. Also, the Company will continue to leverage its proprietary data assets to enhance the AI tools its recruiters use to discover, assess and select talent for its clients, and the AI tools recruiters use to effectively target leads for additional revenue. Protiviti continues to invest in and deploy AI-enabled solutions by integrating AI into its existing offerings while aiming to enhance its own AI infrastructure.

The Company monitors various economic indicators and business trends in all of the countries in which it operates to anticipate demand for the Company’s services. These trends are evaluated to determine the appropriate level of investment, including personnel, which will best position the Company for success in the current and future global macroeconomic environment. The Company’s investments in headcount are typically structured to proactively support and align with expected revenue growth trends and productivity metrics. Visibility into future revenues is limited not only due to the dependence on macroeconomic and labor market conditions noted above, but also because of the relatively short duration of the Company’s client engagements. Accordingly, the Company’s headcount and other investments are typically assessed on at least a quarterly basis. During 2025 the Company’s headcount remained relatively flat for its contract talent solutions, permanent placement talent solutions and Protiviti segments when compared to prior year-end levels, while administrative headcount decreased.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

As described below, the Company’s most critical accounting policies and estimates are those that involve subjective decisions or assessments.

Service Revenues.    The Company derives its revenues from three segments: contract talent solutions, permanent placement talent solutions, and Protiviti. Revenues are recognized when promised goods or services are delivered to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration the Company expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. See Note C—“Revenue Recognition” to the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements included under Part II—Item 8 of this report.

Income Taxes.    The Company’s operations are subject to U.S. federal, state, local and foreign income taxes. In establishing its deferred income tax assets and liabilities and its provision for income taxes, the Company makes judgments and interpretations based on the enacted tax laws that are applicable to its operations in various jurisdictions. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured and recorded using current enacted tax rates, which the Company expects will apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are recovered or settled. The likelihood of a material change in the Company’s expected realization of its deferred tax assets is dependent on future taxable income and the effectiveness of its tax planning in the various relevant jurisdictions.

The Company also evaluates the need for valuation allowances to reduce the deferred tax assets to realizable amounts. Management evaluates all positive and negative evidence and uses judgment regarding past and future events, including operating results, to help determine when it is more likely than not that all or some portion of the deferred tax assets may not be realized. When appropriate, a valuation allowance is recorded against deferred tax assets to offset future tax benefits that may not be realized. Valuation allowances of $33.2 million and $26.4 million were recorded as of December 31, 2025, and 2024, respectively. The valuation allowances recorded relate primarily to net operating losses in certain international operations. If such losses are ultimately utilized to offset future operating income, the Company will recognize a tax benefit up to the full amount of the related valuation reserve.

Previously, the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (“OECD”), an international association of many countries including the U.S., introduced a framework to impose a 15% global minimum corporate tax, referred to as Pillar Two, effective for tax years beginning in 2024. On January 5, 2026, the OECD released new guidance establishing the Side-by-Side (“SbS”) program under the Pillar Two global minimum tax framework. The SbS program includes a Simplified Effective Tax

21

Rate Safe Harbor, an extended

[Excerpt truncated for page length; the complete text is on the linked full-MD&A page.]