Job Seekers Share Evolving Concerns Regarding Economy and Skill Development
Job Seeker Survey: Q2 2025
To understand job seekers' sentiments in the current labor market, we surveyed over 2,600 recent applicants. The results offered new insights into their preferences, including their motivations and desired skill development.
In our Q1 2025 survey, job seekers expressed optimism about their job searches and career opportunities. However, in Q2 2025, we observed a decline in positive sentiment, driven by growing concerns about the economy and the length of the job search process. We also explored applicants’ views and motivations regarding employer-provided skill development opportunities.
Explore The Survey Highlights
Economic Job Barriers
Extended Job Searches
Training Expectations
Skill Development Priorities
55% of Job Seekers Feel the Economy Is the Biggest Barrier to Achieving Career Goals
Companies are slowing down their hiring processes and retaining existing employees longer. As a result, worker optimism about finding quality work has dropped significantly since Q1. While concerns about employment gaps and being over- or underqualified remain top of mind for many applicants, the economy and overall job market conditions continue to be cited as the primary barriers to employment — an ongoing trend observed in surveys since 2023.
Job Search Duration: 34% of Workers Report Hunts Lasting Over 6 Months
Survey respondents report an increase in how long it is taking them to find work – an experience consistent with broader trends showing a slowdown in hiring activity in 2025. At the same time, our data also shows that over 25 percent of job seekers expect to apply for 50 or more jobs before being hired. This figure shows a slight increase compared to our previous survey and hints that job searches are taking more time and energy.
Ongoing Training Key to Employee Retention
Our most recent survey asked applicants about their views on skill development. The vast majority (73 percent) of job seekers expect employers to provide opportunities for acquiring new skills, and over 25 percent have left a job due to insufficient skill development opportunities. When considering all motivations for accepting a new job, “opportunities to learn new skills” ranks second, only behind “job security” and above “pay”.
Job Seekers Prioritize Improving Their Leadership and Technical Skills
In our most recent survey, we explored applicants’ perceptions and motivations around skill development. When asked to select each motivator they found important, more respondents selected “opportunities to learn new skills” than “pay”. We also asked which soft and hard skills they were most interested in learning or improving. The top choice for soft skills was leadership, while the majority expressed interest in improving their technical hard skills.
About the Research
Aerotek’s Job Seeker Survey was conducted as an independent online survey to understand what job seekers want. More than 2,600 job seekers were asked about their career ambitions and employer preferences. Respondents were located in the U.S. and Canada and completed the survey in April 2025. The survey targeted job seekers who have applied for work since March 2025 and were seeking jobs in the sectors Aerotek serves, including manufacturing, robotics and automation, facilities and maintenance, distribution and logistics, construction and other industries. When you need help building and managing your workforce, contact us.