Jobseekers throughout a Hospitality Home profession fair in San Francisco on Aug. 13, 2025.
David Paul Morris|Bloomberg|Getty Images
The outlook appears to be worsening for task candidates.
The U.S. economy included simply 22,000 tasks in August, listed below expectations, and the joblessness rate increased to 4.3%, the Bureau of Labor Stats reported Friday.
On the other hand, an information modification revealed the economy lost 13,000 tasks in June– the very first month of task losses because December 2020. That loss ends the consecutive-job-growth streak that had actually lasted 53 months, from January 2021 through Might 2025, according to Daniel Zhao, primary economic expert at Glassdoor, a profession website.
Beyond the pandemic, the U.S. economy hasn’t included this couple of tasks in the very first 8 months of a year because 2010, around the Great Economic crisis, composed Laura Ullrich, director of financial research study for The United States and Canada at Undoubtedly.
” August’s Work Report verified that the labour market has actually avoided a cliff-edge,” Bradley Saunders, a The United States and Canada economic expert at Capital Economics, composed in a note Friday.
A frozen task market
The report stacks on top of other information released today revealing a frozen labor market for task candidates, financial experts stated.
In July, the variety of jobless individuals eclipsed the variety of task openings for the very first time because April 2021, according to BLS information released Wednesday.
Companies have actually been working with at the slowest pre-pandemic rate because about 2013. On the other hand, layoffs have actually been low by historic requirements, recommending companies remain in a holding pattern in the middle of financial unpredictability and policy modifications like tariffs, financial experts stated.
Obviously, the joblessness rate– which is at its greatest in nearly 4 years– is still at a “completely healthy level” relative to historic requirements, Saunders composed.
Working with in particular sectors like health care and hospitality likewise stays “good,” Ullrich composed. However there’s threat ahead that health care working with slows even more in the middle of decreased federal Medicaid and social support financing in coming months and years, she composed.
All informed, it’s a “truly tough” environment for jobseekers, stated Mandi Woodruff-Santos, a profession coach.
” Think about the worst video game of musical chairs you ever played, where there are 12 chairs and they have actually let 100 individuals pursue those 12 chairs,” she stated. “That’s type of how it feels nowadays.”
Suggestions for jobseekers
It’s likewise essential to keep your abilities “sharp,” by remaining present on brand-new software application your market might be utilizing, for instance, Woodruff-Santos stated.
Flaunt the abilities and understanding you currently need to your expert network, leveraging online platforms like LinkedIn to discuss what you do or are enthusiastic about, she included. It’s an excellent way to get attention from individuals who might not remember you.
” You can develop your own platform,” Woodruff-Santos stated. “Utilize your voice.”
The main point is to keep “moving on and doing something,” possibly by getting a part-time task in the meantime or expanding your task search to sectors in which your abilities are transferrable, Ullrich stated. Even volunteer chances can appear like work experience on a resume, which might reveal working with supervisors you are adaptive, she included.
Furthermore, do not neglect “rotating in location,” Woodruff-Santos stated. Look for chances to advance internally at your present business, whether handling more obligation, looking for a promo or watching somebody to get brand-new capability, she stated. There are methods to be entrepreneurial in your present task to set you up for future success, she stated.
” What individuals truly require today is persistence,” Woodruff-Santos stated.
” You’ll begin to seem like there’s no hope, however you can’t let that cloud weigh you down,” she stated– lean on coworkers, good friends, peers and training neighborhoods to assist keep you going.