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Job Seekers
Right now, it’s a job seeker’s world, and we’re just living in it.
21 Stories in this Deep DiveRemote work prospects, return-to-office plans, burnout and shifting priorities have workers reevaluating what they want to do and where they want to do it.
The term “The Great Resignation” was coined in 2021 to label a historic surge in workers leaving their jobs for new opportunities. In fact, a record 47 million Americans voluntarily quit their jobs last year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. But 2021 was just the start of a movement that has shifted the power dynamic back into the hands of the job seeker, and in March 2022 (the most recently reported data), 4.5 million workers quit their jobs, a single-month record.
On the other side of the equation, job openings are also higher than ever. At the close of March 2022, the U.S. had approximately 11.5 million open roles—the highest level in the history of the data series, which began in December 2000.
4.5 millionIn March 2022, 4.5 million U.S. workers voluntarily quit their jobs.- 11.5 millionAt the close of March 2022, the U.S. had approximately 11.5 million open jobs.
- 81%81% of job seekers expect the hiring process to take two weeks or less.
Spoiled for choice, prospective employees are changing the way they approach interviews and forcing companies to reevaluate their hiring methods. For instance, hiring managers are under pressure to condense the interview process or risk a candidate signing somewhere else before a decision can be made. Hirers are also reporting a spike in candidates ghosting—unexpectedly going radio silent and not showing up—both during the interview process and after they sign on the dotted line.
Right now, it’s a job seeker’s world, and we’re just living in it.