According to ZipRecruiter’s latest quarterly survey of 1,500 new hires conducted in August 2025, job seekers are finding employment more quickly and with fewer applications compared to earlier this year.
- Faster Job Searches: 49% of new hires found a job within one month, up from 39% in May 2025.
- Fewer Applications: The median number of applications sent before securing a job dropped to 24, down from 30 in the previous quarter.
- Quicker Responses: 52% of candidates heard back from hiring managers within three days, compared to 45% in the prior quarter.
ZipRecruiter’s labor economist, Nicole Bachaud, attributes this efficiency to a better alignment between job seekers’ goals and employers’ needs. “The job search is speeding up because there’s a better match between job seekers, the types of jobs they are going after, and what employers are looking for,” she told CNBC Make It.
Shifts in Job Seeker and Employer Behavior
Both job seekers and employers are prioritizing necessity and stability:
- Focused Applications: Candidates are targeting roles more selectively, applying to positions that closely match their skills and preferences.
- Urgent Hiring: Employers are posting openings with the intent to fill them quickly, focusing on immediate needs.
This shift has led to a decline in candidates landing their “dream job,” but 91% of new hires report satisfaction with their roles, up from the previous quarter. While fewer workers secured higher salaries, many are prioritizing non-monetary benefits like workplace culture and schedule flexibility.
A Tightening Job Market
The job market remains competitive, with roughly one job opening per job seeker, according to Labor Department data. This is a significant shift from the Great Resignation of 2022, when there were two jobs per candidate. As a result, “job hugging”—where workers cling to their current roles due to limited opportunities elsewhere—has become more common, Bachaud notes.
High-Demand Sectors: Health-Care and Seasonal Roles
Health-Care Opportunities
Health-care workers continue to enjoy strong demand, though hiring patterns are shifting:
- Public Administration: Hiring for health-care roles in state and local governments has surged, driven by the need to address new policy initiatives and prepare for flu season.
- Non-Traditional Settings: Opportunities are growing in areas like personal care, nonprofits, retail pharmacies, med spas, and domestic services, moving beyond traditional hospital settings.
“There’s always a huge demand for people in the health-care industry,” Bachaud says. “We’re just seeing a little bit more dispersion outside of a hospital or a health-care employer.”
Seasonal Hiring
Retail and transportation sectors are ramping up hiring in anticipation of a robust holiday shopping season. Employers expect strong consumer spending, supported by the Federal Reserve’s interest rate cut in September 2025—the first of the year. Additional rate cuts anticipated through 2025 could further stimulate business activity and hiring.
Economic Context and Outlook
While the Fed’s rate cut aims to lower borrowing costs and boost consumer spending, potential tariff increases could raise prices and dampen household budgets. Despite this risk, the outlook for hiring remains optimistic, particularly as businesses prepare for increased activity toward the end of 2025.