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Call it the Great Freeze — or the Great Frustration.

Business Insider spoke with dozens of job seekers across generations in 2025, some of whom have been unemployed for more than a year.

They voiced a wide range of frustrations about their searches — including slow hiring timelines, so-called “ghost jobs,” suspected ageism, employers going silent midway through the process, overwhelming competition for each role, and the belief that AI filters are often screening their résumés before a human ever sees them.

Their job-finding journeys come at a time when employers are hiring at one of the lowest rates since 2013.

Whether the job seekers blame AI, corporate efficiency pushes, or broader economic uncertainty, they say it all adds up to a deluge of applications and a dearth of job offers. Still, through the frustration, they’ve also found ways to cope and connect with a community of fellow job seekers.

“I believe the hiring system is broken,” said Matthew English, who’s been looking for full-time work since October 2024 after a decadeslong career in accounting. Despite applying for hundreds of jobs — from accounting roles to the Chick-fil-A cow mascot — he’s been unable to secure a full-time offer. He said he’s burned through much of his savings, and that last Christmas, he couldn’t afford to buy gifts for his family.

“I have about drained my life’s savings,” said English, who is in his 60s and lives in Alabama. “Money that you’re expecting to use in retirement is now being used to survive.”

The New York Fed regularly asks people to estimate the likelihood that, if they lost their job today, they’d be able to find a new one in the next three months. In August 2025, that average probability dropped to its lowest level since the survey began in 2013 — and has only recovered slightly in the months since.

Kory Kantenga, the head of economics for the Americas at LinkedIn, said 2025’s labor market had “low momentum.”

“The cumulative effect of three years of slowdown — it’s completely understandable why they feel like this might be the worst labor market they’ve ever been in,” Kantenga said.

The frustrations of job hunting in 2025

Hilary Nordland began looking for work after being laid off from her marketing role in July 2024. To help pay the bills, she said she started donating plasma and drew on her retirement savings.

Nordland, who’s in her 50s and lives in Minnesota, said one of the most frustrating parts of her job search has been landing interviews — only to have opportunities fall through for unexpected reasons. She said she’s had interviews canceled the same day they were scheduled because the role was suddenly put on hold or filled internally. On one occasion, she said, an HR representative told her she’d be a great fit — but the rep was fired before they could schedule the interview.

“This job market is terrifying,” she said. “It’s a black hole that makes you question everything — and I don’t see a clear path through.”

US employers have announced 1.17 million job cuts so far in 2025, the most since 2020. While the unemployment rate remains relatively low by historical standards, it has risen to its highest level since 2021, when the economy was still recovering from pandemic-related disruptions.

High demand for jobs — combined with the rise of AI-assisted applications — has contributed to an influx of submissions for open roles, making it harder for qualified candidates to stand out. Last quarter, the average job posting received 242 applications, nearly three times the number in 2017, according to data from Greenhouse, a hiring software provider.

Aaron Terrazas, an independent economist, said job seekers’ frustration with this year’s labor market was justified.

“Just because the aggregate jobs data look stable, steady, slowing but stable, doesn’t mean that it hasn’t been very difficult for some people,” Terrazas said.

Heather Driscoll began looking for a healthcare management job after being laid off last year. She said she’s struggled to pay the bills and had to draw on her 401(k).

“The amount of time, research, enthusiasm — the dressing up, hair, makeup — just to sit on a Zoom call and get no feedback or rejection, is insane,” she said.

Driscoll, who’s in her 50s and lives in Colorado, said she has reached the final interview round multiple times but has been unable to secure an offer. She suspects that ageism and sexism could be working against her.

Giving up on job goals

A challenging job market has forced some job seekers to confront the possibility that their goals and aspirations may be out of reach.

At age 40, Kenneth Ferraro quit his job as a truck driver to pursue a bachelor’s degree in political science at New York University. He hoped it would set him up for a career in public service — but after struggling to find work, he returned to trucking last year. He said he’s stuck with more than $100,000 in student debt.

While having a college degree improved his credentials, Ferraro said he thought his age had held him back in the job market.

He recalled applying for an entry-level government position that seemed like a good fit. The early stages of the interview process felt promising, but he said things shifted after the in-person interview — and he suspects his age was a factor.

“As soon as the hiring manager saw me, his whole demeanor changed,” Ferraro said. “He ran through the questions and never truly engaged with me.”

Solomon Jones hoped that earning a college degree would open doors. After earning his bachelor’s degree in sports communication in May, he struggled to find employment. Jones said that some of the sports communications job postings he’d come across had attracted more than 1,000 applicants.

“The goal is to obviously get a job in the sports industry, but realistically, I know that life isn’t fair,” said Jones, who’s in his 20s and lives in New Jersey. “So at this point, I’m just trying to find a job, period.”

How job seekers are coping with the stress — and breaking through

Some job seekers Business Insider spoke with have leaned on others — including friends, family, professional contacts, and fellow job seekers — for support and solidarity during their job searches.

After being laid off by Microsoft in May, Ian Carter struggled to find a new job. He switched to a month-to-month lease on his Redmond, Washington, apartment, but eventually moved to Florida to save money by living with family while continuing his search.

Carter said he’s connected with others who’ve lost their jobs and visits the private “MSFT Survivors” Facebook group, which includes people who’ve been laid off throughout Microsoft’s history.

“Layoffs kind of affect people mentally,” said Carter, who’s in his 30s. “I’ve reached out to people so we can be each other’s support system.”

In July, Sriram Ramkrishna was laid off by Intel for the second time. On his last official day with the company, his wife also lost her job. When he learned the news, his mindset shifted from “I’ll find a job when I can” to “I’d better find a job.”

But over the past few months, he’s struggled to make much headway. Ramkrishna said one of the things keeping him going is the support of his former Intel colleagues, who also lost their jobs.

“Many of us have been helping each other with our job searches — sharing opportunities and offering support,” said Ramkrishna, who’s in his 50s and lives in Portland, Oregon. “It feels like we’re all looking out for each other.”

Chris Martin, lead researcher at Glassdoor, said uncertainty helped drive this year’s low-fire, low-hire job market, such as businesses navigating the effects of tariffs and AI. Terrazas, the independent economist, doesn’t think uncertainty will fully fade next year, but said employers won’t be facing the initial shock of policy changes from a new administration.

Most job seekers can’t afford to put their searches on hold until conditions improve. Despite the challenges, some have managed to break through.

When Alexander Valen was laid off from his project manager role at Accenture, he was initially optimistic that his more than two decades of experience would help him land a new job. But after nearly two years of job searching — and falling behind on his mortgage — that optimism had vanished. Valen, who’s in his 50s and lives in Florida, said he and his wife, a stay-at-home mom, relied on DoorDash earnings, unemployment benefits, and help from family to get by.

But a few months ago, someone in his network recommended he explore roles at the freelance platform Toptal. Valen applied for a project manager role, went through the interview process, and landed the position, which he said fell within the $80 to $100 an hour compensation range he’d been targeting.

Valen’s top advice for other job seekers: Reframe how you view the process — and lean on others along the way.

“The search becomes far less discouraging when you treat it as an opportunity to grow rather than a verdict on your worth,” he said. “And in a market this competitive, networking isn’t optional — it’s the force multiplier that ultimately led me to my role.”