1 In 4 Job Seekers Have Searched Over A Year Amid Layoffs

A new survey shows just how difficult the job hunt has become for many Americans. According to the Monster Research Institute, 25% of job seekers say they have been searching for work for more than a year, while 45% have been looking for at least three months. The survey, conducted among 1,003 U.S. job seekers in March, also found that applicants are becoming more flexible and more desperate: 64% have applied to jobs outside their industry or typical role, 32% would take a pay cut, and 73% would give up at least one major job benefit to land a position.

The findings come as the job market appears far more complicated than the headline unemployment rate suggests. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the unemployment rate held at 4.3% in May, but 2 million people were long-term unemployed, meaning they had been jobless for 27 weeks or more. That number is up 524,000 from a year earlier, and long-term unemployed workers now make up 27.5% of all unemployed people.

One reason searches may be dragging on is that layoffs have been highly visible across major industries, especially tech. According to Challenger, Gray & Christmas, U.S.-based employers announced 97,006 job cuts in May, the highest May total since 2020. Cuts have now risen for three straight months, climbing from 48,307 in February to 97,006 in May. The firm also said artificial intelligence led all reasons for job cuts for the third month in a row.

Tech has been hit especially hard. The Wall Street Journal reported that technology companies announced 38,242 cuts in May, with the sector reaching 123,653 cuts so far this year, up 66% from the same period in 2025.

At the same time, hiring has not been strong enough to quickly absorb displaced workers. Reuters reported that job openings jumped to 7.618 million in April, but hiring fell by 419,000 to 5.116 million, suggesting more postings are not automatically turning into more offers. Reuters also noted that uncertainty tied to tariffs, the Iran war, higher energy costs and business caution has weighed on hiring decisions.

That disconnect helps explain why so many applicants feel stuck. Indeed Hiring Lab described the market as two different realities: workers who still have jobs are largely protected, but people who are unemployed face a longer, harder search because hiring and job-switching remain depressed.

The Monster survey captures that pressure. Job seekers are widening their searches, lowering expectations and considering sacrifices that once may have felt off-limits. The issue is not simply that people are out of work. It is that layoffs, cautious employers, AI-driven restructuring and slower hiring have created a market where getting hired can take far longer than many workers can afford.