Looking for a job can be easy. It can also feel impossible. So much depends on the current market, your skillset, networking, and pure luck. How are current job seekers faring in this economy?
Key Takeaways
- 85% say the current job market is bad
- 76% say they are burned out by job hunting
- 35% say they need to lie on their job applications to get a job
- 34% are leveraging AI in their job applications
- Indeed receives the greatest share of applications, but also provides most interview opportunities
- 36% of those about to start a job lied to get it
Job application ROI is 7% for the average job seeker
Job seekers don’t seem to be doing well. 85% say the current job market is bad, and 76% say they’re burnt out by the whole process. An exacerbating factor is the interview process: between phone screens, potential tasks and skill checks, and multiple rounds of interviews, it’s no shock that 82% say the process has gotten too long and complex.
In fact, some are taking matters into their own hands: over 1 in 3 (35%) say they need to lie in order to get a job, and 12% are doing so on their resume, and 11% in interviews.
The numbers play out how bleak job market trends really are: the average length of workers’ current job search is 9 months, with 60% saying they’ve been searching over six months. The average number of applications submitted is 91, with just 6 returning back a next step, whether a phone screen or skill test. This means that only 7% of applications have an ROI of time.
And time is spent: seekers spend an average of 6 hours per week on their job hunt, with a weekly application average of 7.
One contributing factor to this wall of silence? Ghost jobs, or jobs posted by companies that they never intend to fill. 3 in 5 have encountered a ghost job in their current search.
Time isn’t the only thing spent on a job search- money is in play as well. Seekers have spent an average of $136 on their job search, primarily on interview outfits, resume services, and professional development courses.
Over 1 in 3 are turning to AI to help them get a job
A potential difference maker for job seekers is the use of AI chatbots and tools to streamline their job hunt. 34% of job seekers are leveraging AI in their job hunts. It seems to be helping them as 91% believe their job applications are stronger with AI than without.
Top ways job applicants are using AI
- Resume improvement 77%
- Resume writing 62%
- Cover letter writing 61%
- Cover letter improvement 51%
30% are also using AI to find jobs to apply to in the first place, and over 1 in 10 are leaning into agentic AI to automate the entire process and apply to jobs for them.
Top reasons workers are using AI to apply for jobs include the all important optimization for employer-end AI application scanners that are the first gateway to pass in the application process. Nearly 3 in 5 (57%) say that’s a driver towards AI use. Not only that, but AI lightens the mental load (48%), allows for more applications (30%), helps with confidence (28%), manages cover letter writing (24%), and finally, the peer pressure of everyone else seems to be doing it (23%).
Interestingly, despite AI’s uses, most still think that the technology is more helpful to the employer than the prospective employee.
Where job seekers are applying (and what actually works)
Despite a fragmented job market, one platform dominates: 85% of job seekers apply through Indeed, far outpacing LinkedIn (60%), employer career pages (54%), recruiter sites (33%), and Glassdoor (30%). But reach doesn’t always translate into results. When it comes to platforms that actually lead to interviews or offers, Indeed still leads, though only half of job seekers say they found success through Indeed, while a combined 50% report next steps coming from either employer sites (25%) or LinkedIn (25%).
The emotional labor of job hunting remains intense. One in two candidates have been ghosted by a recruiter, and nearly half (47%) say they always have to feign more excitement than they feel during interviews.
When asked about non-negotiables, job seekers prioritize salary (65%), work hours (55%), remote flexibility (38%), and health coverage (36%). Paid time off matters to 29%, but even these firm lines aren’t always firm. Already, 14% have begun to reconsider their non-negotiables, showing that the length of search is taking its toll.
What it takes to land a job in this economy: 36% confess to lying
Among those who’ve successfully secured employment, the job hunt was grueling. On average, candidates submitted 33 applications, received just 3 interview requests, and got 2 offers, spread out over 5 months. Some took some liberties as to qualifications: 36% admitted to lying somewhere on their application—whether on the résumé (16%), in the interview (8%), on references (8%), or across the board (4%).
Perhaps most tellingly, 44% say they had to compromise on their priorities to get hired, underscoring that this is an employer’s market.
Boomers and Gen Z are struggling to find employment
Both ends of the age spectrum are struggling—but for different reasons. Boomers report the longest job searches, averaging 14 months, and 77% believe the job market is bad. Many face acute financial vulnerability, with just one month on average before they risk homelessness. Burnout is near-universal among this group (92%), yet 37% are now using AI to aid their search, reflecting an openness to new tools.
Gen Z, meanwhile, is applying in volume but seeing little return. They submit an average of 102 applications to net just 5 interviews, with job searches stretching an average of 10 months. While 90% rate the market poorly, only 26% have adopted AI tools, and they remain the least optimistic of any age group about their prospects.
Finding a job is hard; finding the right employee is hard too
As matchmakers between employers and workers, we know the importance of the right fit on both sides. While the job market remains stacked against workers stateside, it’s still important to be straightforward about priorities on both sides. Workers won’t trust recruiters who ghost them or don’t take their time and effort seriously; recruiters won’t feel good about finding out a worker lied.
Our team of recruiters are all former psychologists who really look for fit above all– and our 98% retention rate speaks for itself. If there’s anything this survey shows, it’s that finding the right job is hard to do– but we’re here to make it easier.
Methodology & Fair Use
In late November 2025, we surveyed 812 job seekers or those about to start a job within the month to reflect the end of a current job search. 57% were women, 41% men, and 2% were nonbinary or did not disclose; ages ranged from 19-78 with an average age of 39.
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Fair use
When using this data and research, please attribute by linking to this study and citing Howdy.com.