Here’s How Long It Takes to Get a Job Now
Huntr released its Annual Job Search Trends Report last week, and the numbers confirm what many job seekers have been saying: getting hired really is taking longer than it used to.
Based on data from 1,665,447 applications, 1,033,768 job postings, 243,973 resumes, and a 1,049-respondent survey, Huntr’s report showed that typical job searches take between one and six months. However, 1 in 4 respondents have been searching for a year or longer, and around 10% have been searching for more than two years.
The job searching landscape has shifted in other ways, too, including rapid AI adoption, dwindling financial resources, and slowing hiring times.
Here are some highlights from the report:
AI is changing the job market, maybe for good. 1 in 7 respondents said that they’d already lost a job to AI or automation, while a whopping 44% said that they’d use AI to lie or exaggerate on their resume. Meanwhile, everyone agrees that AI interviews suck — 83% of respondents said they’d rather interview with a person, thanks.
Most workers can’t wait for jobs. 45% of workers could survive less than three months without a paycheck, and 18% would be in financial trouble in under a month. (Please remember that if you’re one of these folks, it’s not your fault. There’s no way to plan for the sheer scale of disruption that’s happening right now in the job market and the economy generally.)
Remote and hybrid roles are in demand. Nearly 90% want flexibility, while 10% prefer on-site.
Smaller job boards deliver big results. The best response rates come from Google Jobs (11.3%), GovernmentJobs (8.7%), and Wellfound (6.0%). Traditional job sites yield much less impressive ROI: LinkedIn (3.1%), Indeed (4.5%), and ZipRecruiter (2.8%).
Targeted resumes are worth the effort. Resumes customized to each role lead to interviews/offers at a 5.8% rate, 1.6× higher than those of non-customized resumes. So, it’s still worth it to take the time to tailor your applications for the specific job.
For more information, see Huntr’s 2025 Annual Job Search Trends Report.
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