We heard from over 750 people who have recently struggled to find work. Here are their biggest frustrations with getting hired.

Hundreds of people currently on the job search or who have struggled to find jobs in the past outlined their main frustrations with the process. 

More than 750 Americans between the ages of 18 and 76 who have recently struggled to find work shared their experiences with B-17. Those insights illustrate some universal frustrations with the job hunt, despite different locations, ages, and experience levels.

Through emails and an online form, readers shared stories of fierce competition for white-collar roles and lower-paying gigs alike. Many older respondents said they couldn’t secure a decently paying job after layoffs, and some Gen Zers and young millennials said they couldn’t land a job in their field, despite advanced degrees.

Nearly all respondents were worried about their finances, from single parents who had to skip bills and enroll in SNAP to put food on the table to those who drained their retirement accounts, were forced to downsize their homes, or moved in with their relatives.

In September, job openings fell to the lowest level in over three years. The unemployment rate has been low, but the number of people who were long-term unemployed — people out of jobs and looking for work for at least 27 weeks — has grown this year.

Kory Kantenga, LinkedIn’s head of economics for Americas, told B-17 finding work is tougher amid a slowing jobs market. He said companies “didn’t nitpick about whether you were over or underqualified for a job” a few years ago.

Scott Fite, 60, is based in Pennsylvania and has been looking for IT roles since he was laid off in April.

To save money, his family has dined out less often and dropped a few streaming services. If he doesn’t find a job soon, he said he’ll have to draw upon savings that would have gone toward his daughters’ college tuition.

B-17 combed through over 600 reader responses to the survey and over 150 emails to discern four main frustrations.

Older Americans are struggling to find work

Fritz Boyle, 55, has been looking for roles as a user experience strategist in AI and software development since he was laid off last year. He said he’s landed several interviews and made it to the final round twice, but he hasn’t received an offer.

“I believe I am suffering from ageism, and much younger, cheaper candidates are getting the positions I have been applying to,” said Boyle, who lives in Portland, Oregon.

About half of the total respondents were over the age of 50. Over a dozen respondents also said they couldn’t find roles that paid the same as previous positions and, therefore, settled for lower-paying jobs, which delayed their retirement plans.

For many who still haven’t found work, their finances are taking a hit. Over three dozen respondents said they pulled from their 401(k) or IRAs to stay afloat. A few dozen baby boomer and Gen X respondents who were recently laid off said they went into debt for the first time or relocated to a lower-cost area. A few said they have declared or are considering declaring bankruptcy.

To be sure, while many older job seekers said their age is a challenge, Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows the unemployment rate for those between 55 and 64 has persistently been lower than the national rate. One explanation for this is that older workers drop in and out of job searches — and thus the pool of unemployed workers as defined by BLS — taking the time to network or find the right opportunity, said economist Aaron Terrazas.

Increased competition and AI are fueling frustrations

Dozens of respondents across all generations said they were frustrated by the number of people who applied for the roles they wanted on platforms like LinkedIn, which shows whether jobs are popular among applicants.

A LinkedIn analysis of August data for eight countries, including the US, showed that competition for roles across eight industries is higher than two years ago — including professional services, financial services, and accommodation and food services.

Over three dozen respondents, predominantly in their 30s and 40s, said they’re confused about how to stand out amid the crowded fields, especially as many companies use AI to screen candidate’s applications. Some paid to have their résumés and cover letters curated and optimized, while a few described the search process as a “full-time job.”

A few respondents think postings of ghost or fake jobs are a reason they’re struggling to get a job. Chris Jorgensen, 37, lives in Utah and has been looking for a writing, editing, or copywriting job since last year. He said he’s encountered hiring scams where someone is trying to obtain his personal information and received rejection notices soon after applying for a job, which he believes were sent by a company’s AI. Alternatively, the advertisement turns out to be a ghost job or his application will be ignored.

“The vast majority of jobs I apply to just never respond,” he said.

Every generation feels shut out from white-collar jobs

Over a hundred respondents across all generations said it’s increasingly difficult to secure employment in the white-collar labor market. Over a dozen recent college graduates said they can’t find a tech role, despite relevant internships and bachelor’s degrees from top schools. Meanwhile, some executives with 30 years of experience said their credentials may have prevented them from getting interviews for lower-paying white-collar roles.

Employment in professional and business services, which includes industries like legal and advertising, has cooled down in recent months, per data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The information sector, which includes many tech roles, has also seen weak employment changes this year.

To try to regain an edge in the competitive market, a few dozen respondents, predominantly in their 30s and 40s, returned to school for an advanced degree. While some said they valued those degrees, others cautioned that getting an MBA or a master’s from higher-ranked universities didn’t have noticeable results for them.

Stephanie Allen, 53, has been seeking writing and customer service jobs since March 2023. She said her education has sometimes hindered her search.

“I believe having a master’s degree in English turns off prospective employers because they don’t believe that I’ll stay at the position and will want something more challenging and higher paying,” said the Maryland resident.

Younger respondents also said they’re struggling to secure roles in the corporate world after graduating. Over a dozen respondents in their 20s said that, even with degrees from top universities in computer science or business management, they couldn’t break into those industries and are instead exploring more entrepreneurial paths.

It’s also harder to get lower-paying jobs

Over 200 respondents, predominantly in their 40s and 50s, said they can’t land positions that pay considerably less than their previous roles. At least two dozen said they’ve noticed fewer openings for managerial roles or believe the pay for certain positions doesn’t match the necessary qualifications.

A few respondents in their 40s and 50s said they took over $50,000 pay cuts after holding C-suite or managerial positions just to have some income. Others said that getting a job in retail after years in the corporate world was tough as hiring managers perceived them to be overqualified.

Sean Tetpon, 55, held jobs as a communications manager at large companies, including IBM, where he often made six-figure salaries. After a series of layoffs, he’s been unemployed for the last year. Despite submitting over 1,000 applications, he said he hasn’t secured anything at or below his past salaries. Tetpon, who has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Idaho, said getting any white-collar role is “like playing the lottery.”

“It’s scary because I’ve been preparing for retirement for a long time, but now that I’ve basically wiped out my savings because of my layoff, I’m now wondering if I will be able to retire,” Tetpon said.