Trending Now - Survey Uncovers Growing Pessimism Among Job Seekers
WHO:
Gallup, a research organization
22,368 U.S. adults who are working full-time and part-time for organizations in the U.S.
WHAT:
The Gallup survey indicates that workers have a dimmer view of their current life and future prospects than at any point since 2009.
The Conference Board's consumer confidence survey recorded a score of 91.2 in February 2026, which is down from nearly 130 before the pandemic.
Nearly 2 million Americans have been unemployed for more than six months.
The Gallup survey conducted during the final three months of 2025 revealed that just 28% of workers said it is a “good time” to find a quality job, while 72% said it is a bad time.
The survey indicated that job pessimism is especially pronounced among college graduates, with only 19% believing it is a good time to find a quality job.
The Conference Board's consumer confidence survey recorded a score of 91.2 in February 2026, which is close to its pandemic-era lows and down from nearly 130 before the pandemic.
Just 28% of workers said it is a “good time” to find a quality job, while 72% said it is a bad time.
In mid-2022, 70% of workers said it was a good time to find a quality job.
As of late 2024, just under half of workers said it was a good time to search for a job.
The hiring rate dropped to 3.2% in November 2025, the lowest since March 2013.
There are 7.4 million unemployed people compared to 6.9 million available jobs.
College graduates' optimism about the job market is the lowest since 2013.
Just 19% of workers with a college degree think it is a good time to find a quality job, while 35% of workers without a college degree are optimistic.
About 2 in 10 workers ages 18-34 think it is a good time to find a job, compared to about 4 in 10 workers ages 65 and older.
WHERE:
Washington, D.C., United States
WHEN:
The Gallup survey was conducted from October 30th to November 13th, 2025.
The hiring rate of 3.2% was recorded in November 2025.
The last time the hiring rate was at 3.2% was in March 2013.
WHY:
The ongoing hiring drought and weak hiring in many white-collar professions, such as software, customer service, and advertising, have contributed to the negative outlook on the job market.
The pessimism reflects an ongoing hiring drought and weak hiring in many white-collar professions over the past two years.
The gap in job market sentiment between Americans with and without a college degree is at its widest since Gallup began asking the question in 2001.
HOW:
The Gallup survey found that younger workers are much likelier than older workers to say they are actively looking for a new job or watching for opportunities, with most Gen Z and Millennial workers indicating they are at least watching for opportunities.
The Gallup survey used a sample drawn from Gallup’s probability-based panel.
The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 1.0 percentage points.
(UPDATED March 24, 2026 15:53 UTC)
A recent Gallup survey reveals that workers are feeling more pessimistic about their current lives and future prospects than at any time since 2009. Additionally, the Conference Board's consumer confidence survey shows a significant drop, with a score of 91.2 in February 2026, down from nearly 130 before the pandemic. Compounding these concerns, nearly 2 million Americans have been unemployed for more than six months.
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(UPDATED March 24, 2026 13:44 UTC)
A recent Gallup survey shows that only 28% of workers feel it's a good time to find a quality job, with this pessimism particularly strong among college graduates, where just 19% share that sentiment. Contributing to this negative outlook is a hiring drought affecting many white-collar professions, including software, customer service, and advertising. Interestingly, younger workers, especially those from Gen Z and Millennial generations, are more likely to be actively seeking new job opportunities or keeping an eye out for them.
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(UPDATED March 24, 2026 11:29 UTC)
A recent Gallup survey reveals that only 28% of U.S. workers believe it's a good time to find a quality job, a stark contrast to mid-2022 when 70% felt optimistic. The hiring rate has dropped to 3.2%, the lowest since March 2013, and there are currently 7.4 million unemployed people competing for just 6.9 million available jobs. Notably, only 19% of college graduates feel positive about job prospects, highlighting the widest gap in sentiment between degree holders and non-degree holders since Gallup began tracking this in 2001.