Recently unemployed US job seekers in the US are experiencing a massive case of job-hunt burnout amid prolonged searches without any offers, according to staffing firm Insight Global.
More than half of recently unemployed adults surveyed, 55%, say they’ve been searching for a new job for so long that they are “completely burnt out,” according to the Insight Global survey. Recently unemployed workers also say they have applied to an average of 30 jobs and have only received an average of four callbacks or responses.
“It’s no wonder that so many unemployed Americans are feeling unmotivated — between several years of a volatile job market, headcount reductions, budget cuts, hiring freezes and a total overhaul of the way companies are running their businesses, it can feel downright impossible to get back on track,” Insight Global CEO Bert Bean said in a press release.
Gen Z is getting hit the hardest with 66% of this cohort saying they’re burnt out, according to the survey. That’s the highest percentage of any generation.
Some workers are so depleted by the job search that they’re taking other steps to make or save money, according to Insight Global’s survey:
- 43% said they feel there is no shame or prefer to live at home with their parents.
- The same percentage, 43%, said they would rather create an Etsy business or resell thrifted items than send out another blast of résumés.
- More than a third, 36%, would rather drive for a delivery or rideshare service than continue what appears to be a fruitless search.
- Some Gen Z job seekers — 44% — would rather get a “sugar daddy” or “sugar mommy.”
Insight Global’s survey took place in July and included 501 recently unemployed adults who had been unemployed for 12 months or less and who were actively seeking employment.