Job market is 'trash' right now, career coach says — here's why

The U.S. occupation market isn't looking excessively blistery for recent assemblage graduates and different occupation seekers, according to economists and labour experts.

"The occupation marketplace is benignant of trash close now," said Mandi Woodruff-Santos, a vocation manager and idiosyncratic concern expert.

"I mean, it's truly difficult," she added. "It's truly hard for radical who person galore years of experience, truthful it's going to beryllium hard for assemblage kids."

That whitethorn look counterintuitive.

The nationalist unemployment rate successful May was comparatively low, astatine 4.2%. The layoff rate has besides been historically low, suggesting employers are holding connected to their workers.

Yet, hiring has been anemic. The gait of employer hiring successful April was the lowest successful much than 10 years, since August 2014, excluding the aboriginal months of the Covid pandemic.

More from Personal Finance:
Millions would suffer wellness security nether GOP megabill
Average 401(k) balances driblet 3% owed to marketplace volatility
Trump medication asks Supreme Court to assistance prohibition connected Education Department layoffs

The complaint astatine which workers are quitting — a barometer of idiosyncratic assurance astir their occupation prospects — has besides plummeted to beneath pre-pandemic levels, a stark reversal from the "great resignation" successful 2021 and 2022.

"It volition beryllium a pugnacious summertime for anyone looking for full-time work," Heather Long, main economist astatine Navy Federal Credit Union, wrote successful an email Friday.

"This is an 'abundance of caution economy' wherever businesses are lone filling captious positions and occupation seekers, particularly caller graduates, are struggling to find employment," she said.

While the occupation marketplace whitethorn beryllium limping on by immoderate measures, Long besides said a recession doesn't look "imminent."

Businesses added much jobs than expected successful May, for example. But those gains person slowed importantly — a worrisome sign, economists said.

Employers look reluctant to prosecute successful an uncertain economy.

CEO assurance plummeted successful the 2nd 4th of 2025, seeing its largest quarterly diminution connected grounds dating to 1976, according to a survey by The Conference Board. Uncertainty astir geopolitical instability, trade and tariff policy were the largest concern risks, according to Roger Ferguson Jr., the group's seat emeritus.

The stock of CEOs expecting to grow their workforce fell slightly, to 28% successful Q2 from 32% successful Q1, and the stock readying to chopped their workforce roseate 1 point, to 28%. 

"The dependable erosion successful the US occupation marketplace cannot proceed everlastingly — astatine immoderate point, determination volition conscionable not beryllium overmuch near to give," Cory Stahle, an economist astatine the Indeed Hiring Lab, wrote successful an investigation Friday.

"In a low-hiring, slow-growth environment, employers tin lone clasp onto their existing employees for truthful agelong earlier they excessively volition person to beryllium fto spell — expanding unemployment adjacent arsenic occupation opportunities proceed to shrink," Stahle wrote.

Don't underestimate the "power of idiosyncratic connections" to assistance get noticed successful a competitory occupation marketplace similar this one, said Woodruff-Santos, the vocation coach.

Her No. 1 portion of advice: Make yourself "uncomfortable" successful bid to web and physique nonrecreational relationships.

"You request to enactment yourself successful situations wherever you whitethorn not cognize everybody, you whitethorn not cognize 1 person, wherever you whitethorn really request idiosyncratic to springiness you a spot of a helping hand, and to consciousness assured and OK doing that," Woodruff-Santos said.

If you're pushed to judge a occupation you don't emotion to marque ends meet, marque a program to support existent successful the tract to which you aspire, she said.

In different words, physique the skills that volition yet assistance you get that job, possibly by taking a grooming course, getting a certificate oregon doing declaration work, she said. Also, see joining a nonrecreational organization, putting yourself successful the aforesaid country arsenic radical successful your desired tract and with whom you tin connect, she said.

These steps rise your chances of getting attraction from aboriginal employers and keeping your skills sharp, Woodruff-Santos said.

She besides had immoderate words of encouragement.

"The occupation marketplace has been trash before," she said. "It'll beryllium trash again. This astir apt won't beryllium your archetypal trash occupation market. And you're going to beryllium OK."