20% of job seekers have been looking for 10 to 12 months or longer with no luck

The Brutal Reality of Job Hunting: Why It’s Taking Longer Than Ever

It’s no shock that nearly one in five professionals have been searching for a job for over a year. While the labor market appears strong—with a 4.1% unemployment rate and modest job posting growth—the reality on the ground tells a different story.

One job seeker, for example, applied to over 1,700 positions without getting a single response—until he vented on TikTok and finally got recruiters’ attention. A 2024 Harris Poll survey found that 40% of unemployed professionals went the entire year without landing a single interview.

For many white-collar workers, job hunting has become an isolating, mentally exhausting process—sending out endless applications into what feels like a black hole. But why is it taking so long to land a job? The reasons are a mix of job seekers’ expectations and broken hiring processes.

Job Seekers’ Expectations: Are They Too Picky?

Job seekers deserve to be selective—after all, work takes up a third of their waking hours. But some may be limiting their options by holding out for high salaries or “perfect” roles.

Even as concerns about unemployment rise, professionals in 2024 wouldn’t accept less than $81,500 for a new job, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. While workers understandably want fair, livable wages, higher expectations shrink the number of jobs they’re willing to apply for.

Some job seekers are also ghosting employers. A 2025 survey from PapersOwl found that 29% of Gen Z and young millennials have "career catfished" employers—disappearing after making it to the final interview round. Many did it for a dare, while others changed their minds about the job.

According to Susan Levine, CEO of Career Group, flexibility is crucial:

“Careers aren’t a straight climb—they’re a squiggly path to success. Being open-minded, prepared, and genuinely engaged in the hiring process gives job seekers a competitive edge.”

But job seekers aren’t solely to blame. Hiring practices have changed, making the process longer and more frustrating than ever.

Recruiters Who Ghost & Fake Job Postings

A big reason for the long job search? Many applicants are chasing jobs that don’t exist.

According to a 2024 MyPerfectResume report, 81% of recruiters admit their companies post “ghost jobs”—roles that are either already filled or completely fake. Worse, 36% of hiring managers say that a quarter of their listings are ghost jobs.

This explains why so many job seekers send out hundreds of applications without hearing back. They’re applying to positions that were never real in the first place.

The hiring process itself has also dragged out. Employers expect more interviews, background checks, and assessments before extending an offer—leading to longer wait times.

The Job Market in 2025: Slow, Competitive, and Frustrating

While the job market isn’t collapsing, it’s evolving in ways that make job hunting tougher. Job seekers need to be realistic but persistent, while companies need to stop misleading applicants with ghost listings and excessive interview rounds.

Until the hiring process becomes more efficient and transparent, many professionals will continue facing long, demoralizing job searches—sometimes lasting over a year.