Overview
- Gallaxp's late-2025 poll of 22,368 workers found only 28% saying it is a good time to find a quality job, and for the first time more workers reported struggling than thriving.
- Labor Department data show hiring dropped to 3.2% in November 2025 and unemployed workers outnumbered job openings 7.4 million to 6.9 million, in what economists call a low-hire, low-fire market.
- College graduates were the most downbeat, with 19% seeing good prospects compared with 35% of workers without a college degree.
- Younger adults felt the pinch most, with about two in ten workers ages 18–34 seeing good prospects versus about four in ten among those 65 and older, and younger workers were far more likely to be job hunting.
- Turnover intent is the highest since Gallup began tracking in 2015, with more than half actively hunting and 40% seeking better roles, yet weaker pay trends mean about a quarter of recent hires accepted a pay cut and fewer negotiated raises.