Job seeker confidence is near record lows, according to LinkedIn News Editor Taylor Borden, reporting on the latest LinkedIn Workforce Confidence survey. Confidence in landing a new role now sits at +6 on a scale from -100 to +100. That is down from +16 a year ago and just one point above the all-time low of +5. Even during the height of the pandemic in April 2020, job seeker confidence was higher at +9.
Professionals who are not currently looking for work are also less optimistic. Their confidence has dropped to +46, down from +54 last August and even lower than the April 2020 reading of +48. Taken together, the survey shows that both active job seekers and those who feel secure in their current roles are more uncertain than at nearly any other point in recent years.
This drop in sentiment is contributing to a weaker outlook on hiring. A recent Conference Board survey found that one in five employers expect to shrink hiring efforts in the second half of 2025, double the share from last year. In addition, more executives are predicting workforce reductions than expansions over the next 12 months, citing economic uncertainty, U.S. trade policy shifts, and the rising impact of artificial intelligence.
Career experts say workers should not be discouraged by the statistics. Executive coach Walter Paulsen advises job seekers to “zig when others zag,” encouraging more personal outreach rather than mass applications. Career coach Kristen Zavo added that candidates who can position themselves strategically and tell a compelling story “know how to rise above the noise” even when the market feels stacked against them.