Fall 2023 Job-Seeker Survey

With our Fall 2023 Job Seeker Survey, we aimed to learn how job seekers are feeling and what they are considering as they look for new work. We surveyed 1,514 job seekers to learn how they are feeling about the labor market and what is motivating them to apply for and ultimately accept a new job.

Job Seekers Are Working Harder, Spending More Time Finding Jobs

A majority of job seekers polled indicated their job hunts were shaping up to be harder than they expected.

Over 70% of job seekers said they felt they needed to exert more than an average amount of effort to find a job in this economy, and 67.7% felt their current job search was more difficult than their last one.

Based on their experience over the last three months, a majority of job seekers said they thought employers have slowed down the hiring process. Just 13.5% thought the hiring process was faster, while 32.9% thought it was what they expected.

When asked to pick just one motivator as most important, pay still reigned for job seekers answering Aerotek’s survey. But since Aerotek’s Summer 2023 Job Seeker Survey, those answering that the most important motivator for them was pay (30%) declined by 6.9% while those answering job security (18%) increased 0.8%.

Job Seekers Indicate Financial Struggles, Point to Economy/Job Market as Most Significant Challenge

More than 74% of job seekers reported their financial situation was the same or worse compared to this time in 2022. That number was down slightly from Aerotek’s Summer Job-Seeker Survey, when 77.3% of job seekers reported the same or worse financial situation.

Q: How would you describe your financial situation compared to this time in 2022?
	Summer 2023	Fall 2023
Better Than 2022	22.7%	25.4%
Same as 2022	36.0%	28.9%
Worse Than 2022	41.3%	45.7%

Over 55% of respondents said the economy/job market was the most significant barrier or challenge they were facing in their job search.

Performance Feedback Leads to Higher Job Satisfaction

Job seekers who reported that they received performance feedback in their most recent job were more likely to indicate that they enjoyed the work and their employer at the time, and that they had a more positive view on work in general.

As managers begin to hold annual reviews, the data shows employees appreciate receiving feedback about their performance.

About The Research

Aerotek’s Fall Job Seeker Survey was conducted as an independent online survey. 1,514 job seekers were asked about their career ambitions and employer preferences. Respondents were located in the U.S. and completed the survey between November 14 and November 26, 2023. The survey targeted job seekers who have applied for work since October 1 and were seeking jobs in the sectors Aerotek serves, including manufacturing, robotics and automation, facilities and maintenance, distribution and logistics, construction and other industries.