I\u2019ve spent years watching people move through this labor market \u2014 getting hired, getting promoted, getting laid off, getting nervous.<\/p>\n
But the market we\u2019re in right now feels different. Not dramatic. Not a crisis, just stuck.<\/p>\n
June\u2019s jobs report backs that up. Employers added only 57,000 positions, well below what economists were banking on, and a big drop from May\u2019s gain of more than 100,000.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s not a collapse, but if you\u2019re a job seeker, I know how frustrating it feels. Lots of dead ends, no\u2019s and ignores. It\u2019s a market that\u2019s simply gone still.<\/p>\n
A friend of mine who\u2019s a great networker recently moved back to San Diego, and she\u2019s feeling stuck.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve met with and had coffee, lunch and drinks with everyone I know, plus everyone they know,\u201d she told me. \u201cIt\u2019s been months and nothing has come through.\u201d<\/p>\n
As one economist put it recently, we\u2019re not seeing a wave of layoffs, but we\u2019re also not seeing much hiring either, and people aren\u2019t quitting their jobs to chase something better.<\/p>\n
Everything has slowed to a crawl at once. That\u2019s the \u201cstillness\u201d showing up in the numbers.<\/p>\n
Depending on your field<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
This isn\u2019t the year to make a lateral move on a whim. If you\u2019re job hunting, and I won\u2019t sugarcoat it, this is a hard season.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s the math behind the frustration a lot of job seekers are feeling.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t beat yourself up if your job search is taking longer than you thought it would. You\u2019re in very good company, and it\u2019s crowded.<\/p>\n
If it\u2019s any consolation, one-third of college graduates, for a myriad of reasons, are back in their childhood bedrooms within three months of graduation.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
On the flip side, leisure and hospitality \u2014 the industry that led all others in May \u2014 took the hardest hit in June, shedding 61,000 jobs.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re feeling stuck, what should you do?<\/p>\n
My advice hasn\u2019t changed much over the years: Do your homework. Don\u2019t just look at what industry a company sits in \u2014 look at who their clients are.<\/p>\n
If a company serves clients in a sector that\u2019s gaining momentum, that momentum tends to trickle down. Chasing growth means following the whole chain, not just the name on the building.<\/p>\n
The AI-panic of layoffs that dominated boardroom conversations a year ago has cooled.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s a positive, meaningful shift in tone from the top.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, immigration enforcement is having an effect on hiring practices, both at the upper-level job market and the lower end.<\/p>\n
Down slightly from last year<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
And with deportations running very high, thousands of lower-end jobs are opening up, led by retail and food service.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Keep in mind that stillness doesn\u2019t mean nothing is happening. It does mean you have to look harder to find the right opportunity.\u00a0<\/p>\n