New survey data from Express Employment Professionals finds 54% of U.S. job seekers expect difficulty finding work, as living costs, competition and job security influence decisions.
Express Employment Professionals is highlighting a labor market in which many Americans remain willing to change jobs but are increasingly cautious about what they will find. A new survey conducted by The Harris Poll found that 54% of U.S. job seekers expect finding employment to be difficult over the next six months, even as 41% say they are actively looking for a new position.
The obstacles extend beyond simply finding an opening. Forty-six percent of respondents cited locating opportunities that match their qualifications as a challenge, while 44% were concerned about finding work that pays enough to cover basic expenses and 41% worried about standing out in a competitive market. Automated recruitment is another source of frustration, with 31% saying hiring processes that limit human interaction make the search more difficult.
Uncertainty about whether openings are genuine is also affecting perceptions of the market. Nearly one-third of job seekers said companies that advertise positions while primarily collecting resumes create an additional obstacle, while 28% described being overqualified for available jobs and 22% said underqualification was a problem. Together, the findings suggest that the difficulty of the current search is not necessarily a shortage of interest in working, but a complicated mismatch between available roles, candidate experience and expectations.
For people who already have jobs, financial and economic concerns are helping drive the search. Thirty-seven percent worry they will not receive the raise they believe they deserve, while 31% are concerned about an economic slowdown reducing opportunities and 30% fear workforce reductions. One-quarter also worry that technology or artificial intelligence could negatively affect their current roles.
Cost pressures appear especially significant: 89% of job seekers said rising prices have influenced their decision to seek new employment to some degree, with 63% describing the effect as moderate or substantial. At the same time, workers are looking beyond compensation, with 41% seeking better work-life balance and 40% pursuing stronger opportunities for professional growth, suggesting that even in a more uncertain job market, candidates continue to weigh longer-term job quality alongside immediate financial needs.
