I’ve spent years watching people move through this labor market — getting hired, getting promoted, getting laid off, getting nervous.

But the market we’re in right now feels different. Not dramatic. Not a crisis, just stuck.

June’s jobs report backs that up. Employers added only 57,000 positions, well below what economists were banking on, and a big drop from May’s gain of more than 100,000.

That’s not a collapse, but if you’re a job seeker, I know how frustrating it feels. Lots of dead ends, no’s and ignores. It’s a market that’s simply gone still.

A friend of mine who’s a great networker recently moved back to San Diego, and she’s feeling stuck.

“I’ve met with and had coffee, lunch and drinks with everyone I know, plus everyone they know,” she told me. “It’s been months and nothing has come through.”

As one economist put it recently, we’re not seeing a wave of layoffs, but we’re also not seeing much hiring either, and people aren’t quitting their jobs to chase something better.

Everything has slowed to a crawl at once. That’s the “stillness” showing up in the numbers.

Depending on your field

If you have a job now, hang on to it. Opportunities to jump ship have thinned out considerably, and depending on your field, there may not be much waiting for you on the other side.

This isn’t the year to make a lateral move on a whim. If you’re job hunting, and I won’t sugarcoat it, this is a hard season.

Openings are scarce, competition for each one is fierce, and the data shows it: The share of people unemployed for 27 weeks or longer has climbed to 27%, up from 23% a year ago.

To put that in perspective, hiring activity is sitting close to where it was over a decade ago, with more job seekers chasing fewer new openings.

That’s the math behind the frustration a lot of job seekers are feeling.

Don’t beat yourself up if your job search is taking longer than you thought it would. You’re in very good company, and it’s crowded.

If it’s any consolation, one-third of college graduates, for a myriad of reasons, are back in their childhood bedrooms within three months of graduation.

Not every industry is telling the same story, though. Professional and business services actually led the way in June, adding 36,000 jobs, with healthcare and social assistance close behind.

On the flip side, leisure and hospitality — the industry that led all others in May — took the hardest hit in June, shedding 61,000 jobs.

If you’re feeling stuck, what should you do?

My advice hasn’t changed much over the years: Do your homework. Don’t just look at what industry a company sits in — look at who their clients are.

If a company serves clients in a sector that’s gaining momentum, that momentum tends to trickle down. Chasing growth means following the whole chain, not just the name on the building.

The AI-panic of layoffs that dominated boardroom conversations a year ago has cooled.

A recent survey found that the share of CEOs expecting major AI-driven headcount cuts dropped from 46% in early 2025 down to just 20% this past May.

That’s a positive, meaningful shift in tone from the top.

Meanwhile, immigration enforcement is having an effect on hiring practices, both at the upper-level job market and the lower end.

Down slightly from last year

Fewer companies are willing to sponsor visas for international talent. And fewer employers said they were open to hiring foreign business school graduates this year, down slightly from last year and a steep drop from 2022.

And with deportations running very high, thousands of lower-end jobs are opening up, led by retail and food service.

Employers who are hiring are more impressed with candidates who are actively working anywhere rather than sitting at home. At least they are in the game, even if just treading water in their career.

Keep in mind that stillness doesn’t mean nothing is happening. It does mean you have to look harder to find the right opportunity. 

Blair is co-founder of Manpower West Staffing and can be reached at pblair@manpowerwest.com.