In 2025, job seekers faced significant challenges, marking one of the most difficult years since the Great Recession. Hiring rates decreased, with many professionals reporting frustration over the lack of responses to numerous applications. The year saw a notable increase in posts on LinkedIn expressing despair over the job market, where users shared experiences of being ghosted by employers and the struggles of competing with AI filters on resumes.
Among the hardest hit were young graduates and workers in sectors like manufacturing and technology. Economic uncertainty contributed to the slowest hiring pace in over ten years, excluding the early days of the pandemic. Some graduates have resorted to taking positions outside their fields, with anecdotes of individuals accepting roles at places like Trader Joe’s after prolonged job searches.
Experts have attributed the bleak job landscape to various factors, including previous political policies and underlying economic trends. Guy Berger, a workforce economist at Guild, emphasized the severity of the situation, labeling the market as not just bad, but "terrible." This environment has left many hopeful candidates feeling disillusioned as they navigate a challenging employment landscape.