Most U.S. workers see now as a bad time to find a job, Gallup poll finds
Most Americans are pessimistic about the job market, according to a Gallup survey conducted in late 2025. Only 28% of workers believe now is a good time to find a quality job, while 72% say it is a bad time, Gallup reported.
The survey’s findings reflect a sharp reversal from mid-2022, when 70% of workers said it was a good time to seek employment. As recently as late 2024, nearly half of workers still considered it a good time to look for a job, Gallup said.
The survey was conducted during the last three months of 2025, before the recent surge in oil and gas prices caused by the Iran conflict. Despite low unemployment rates, the data indicates a hiring drought and widespread economic pessimism among workers, Gallup noted.
College graduates are especially gloomy about job prospects. Only 19% of workers with a college degree think it is a good time to find a quality job, compared to 35% of those without a college degree, Gallup found. The survey also revealed that optimism among college graduates is at its lowest since 2013 and that the gap in job market confidence between those with and without a degree has widened since Gallup first asked the question in 2001.
Younger workers, particularly those aged 18-34, are more discontented, with only about 2 in 10 viewing now as a good time to find a job. In contrast, roughly 4 in 10 workers aged 65 and older share that view. The survey suggests a “low-hire, low-fire” job market, with businesses holding onto workers amid sluggish hiring and low layoffs, making it difficult for younger workers to find permanent positions.
The findings align with government data showing the weakest hiring rate in over a decade. In November 2025, the Labor Department reported a hiring rate of 3.2%, the lowest since March 2013. At that time, the unemployment rate was 7.5%, significantly higher than the current 3.8%. Currently, there are more unemployed Americans — 7.4 million — than available jobs, which total 6.9 million, reversing the trend seen earlier in the pandemic.
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