What is going on with the job market, it's crazy!

[Ketchupandcustard]

Not sure why i'm starting this thread, maybe so I can see that others are in the same boat and to stop me losing my mind?!

I applied for a job at my sons school in the office, I applied with 5 days to spare before the closing date. I waited and waited and heard nothing. I chased it up, still heard nothing. Then found out from the school newsletter that the job had been appointed, so I emailed and asked for feedback on my application. I got a reply today telling me that there was nothing necessarily wrong with my application, it's just that they had already appointed the role before they received my application?! No indication in the job advert that they were doing rolling interviews or potentially closing the advert early or anything. So basically, my lengthy application that I spent hours on was completely pointless before I had even sent it, I didn't even stand a chance. Is this even legal?! Why is it okay to waste people's time like this?!

My second grievance is the fact that so many jobs have a ridiculously lengthy list of essential criteria, for jobs with such low pay. I found a job a few weeks ago that wanted you to be a qualified, experienced dog trainer with extensive experience with working dogs, as well as extensive training and experience working with adults and children with additional needs, among other things, all of this for just under £14p/h. Who has that much experience and is looking for a job for less than £14p/h?!

I applied for a job working for minimum wage in a veterinary practice reception, and was told that I lacked experience, despite me having run my own animal related business for over 10 years, and prior to that having worked in a veterinary hospital and a children's hospital. How can I lack experience for a minimum wage job when I have that much experience?

My husband is also looking for a job at the moment, the amount of jobs he applies for which require so much of his time, yet they can't even send a courtesy e-mail to say thanks but no thanks. It's so rude!

Don't even get me started on the jobs that don't advertise the salary, can we stop pretending that people don't work for money, because we do. Put the salary, it's just a waste of everyone's time if you don't. I saw a job yesterday that said the salary was up to £3000 more than your current salary?! What on earth is that about?! Surely they know what their salary range is? How can it be based on your current salary? How is that fair?!

I've had a job since I was 12 years old, i'm nearly 40 and I have never felt less employable than I do now, I literally feel like I am worth nothing to anyone. I have a degree, an extensive employment background as well as having run my own business for 10 years, why is it so hard to find a job? I know it is an employers market right now, but my goodness it's soul destroying. I just want a job, why is it so bloody hard?

@Friendlygingercat what a waste of your time, plus there would have been literally hundreds of well qualified people who actively wanted a part time role who wouldn’t have applied because the job was full time.

Agreed the job market is awful. Salaries less than they were 10 years ago for skilled jobs. Even finding a minimum wage part time job was tricky unless I wanted to work every weekend at midnight. I worry for my DS who will qualify from uni in 2 years time, hopefully the AI bubble will have partially burst by then when employers realise it’s not fit for purpose.

Same. I’ve given up for now and we’ve made some cut backs. I did get two interviews but found out after that for one, they brought in a friend, so likely always planned that and the other was public sector which I’ve not worked, but in the feedback said while I and my experience is just what they are looking for, they are going to stick with someone who has been in the public sector.
Many applications elsewhere and not heard a thing.

Sounds like you had more than enough experience for the vet job. What a load of rubbish to say that.

It's ridiculous. People are up against several things when job hunting: Favoured internal candidates, nepotism, ghost jobs, flaky employers who withdraw jobs last minute, overseas candidates who are favoured because they'll accept lower pay and don't know their employment rights and AI application filtering.

Depends on your sector. I work for a housing association. We have a few different jobs advertised and our very small department (newish) is growing so may well need new staff in future.

I was looking for part time admin jobs, this came up and yes I’m overqualified for it, but there are lots of training opportunities and perks and the people there are lovely.

Quite a few of our employees used to work as housing officers or in the housing department of local councils and have left to join here, we also have a pension scheme. If you consider most local councils offer a good work to life balance, good pension then why are people joining here? Salary increase? I haven’t asked those questions yet. We have a good car leasing scheme amongst other benefits which helps.

In my case I was very lucky as this was a new post but I’m unsure if it was advertised internally or not. I know nothing about housing associations or their clients but all my colleagues have filled me in on things and trained me. My manager who worked for years for a council and then for a housing association wants to do an excel course. She’s never learned it apart from used it at home. I need to update my excel skills so I said I’d attend a course with her.

This. I was interviewed for a job - two posts and three candidates. The other two were internal. They got the job. I know this because when I asked for feedback I was told great interview but they wanted a candidate who knew their internal systems and the other two did.

In other words they fucking wasted my time and I wasted an weekend I could have spent with my kids preparing for an interview for a job they had no intention of giving to me, but I was just there to go through the pretence with their HR dept that this had been a competitive interview process. Shameful way to treat people.

Ironically despite all the noise, employers want what they always have - reliable employees who turn up and do the job competently. I do think all this AI screening and multiple interviews isn’t helping them either. That’s why I think it’s easier to get a job if you know someone there, particularly if it’s not a well paid job.

@Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain I got a part time role relatively easily in NHS admin as they are desperate for people, despite being overqualified. Up until 3 weeks ago when one member went on holiday and it’s turned into an understaffed nightmare, it has been enjoyable. Fingers crossed it goes back to normal when she gets back. If I wanted to progress ( I don’t )there are loads of opportunities and it is much easier to go through the ranks internally.

Local Councils are under extreme financial pressure and are shedding jobs. Its an extremely insecure place to work. I would not recommend it to anyone. Constant restructurings and threats to losing your job. Worked in LG all my life but will not recommend it to my kids. Its the worst paid and most job insecure part of the public sector. Training budgets disappeared many years ago too.

The job probably went to a DEI

Another silly comment by someone pushing a specific agenda...

Give it a rest.

That rubbish has been totally debunked as absolutely untrue

OP, we are in the middle of an economic downturn. Employers are struggling to cover their existing costs, never mind employ anyone new. NI & minimum wage increases have crippled a large percentage of companies. It won't improve until we are rid of Rachel Reeves..

The company I work for has closed a factory and made half the workforce redundant, including me. I'm in my 60s so have no chance of finding another role.

It isn't just you even though I know it feels personal. The very few employers who are recruiting have the pick of literally thousands of applicants. Jobs with school term working or working with animals - you will be competing against fully qualified and experienced teachers, and newly qualified vets.

It's brutal right now, OP.

I took three months off to study and find a job after resigning. I applied for several local jobs to tide me over at pubs etc. & never heard back ( have previous experience). I also applied for around 35 in my actual corporate specialism and it was soul destroying! Hundreds of applications, jobs posted and seemingly unfilled for several months, generic responses or none at all. I start a new job tomorrow which I was very lucky to get via referral by a senior leader in the company I previously worked with for several years.

Partner is also struggling with warehouse and forklift jobs - ridiculous & weird shifts, sometimes so far in distance and majority at minimum wage. Agencies are CV farming and being less than upfront on job postings as well (especially about hours and shifts).

Its a bit mad. I was at my last company for around 15 years and partner about seven years, and we are both shocked at what the job market is right now. You are not alone - best of luck!!

When you get hundreds of applicants for a minimum wage job a large proportion of them are not really looking for a job or full time work. They are just seeking to fulfil the UC requirements to seek work. So they apply for anything and everything regardless of whether the job is suitable for them or whether they have an interest in it. All these applicants have to do is show they applied on their UC diary. This is why many employers are now using AI to filter out low quality applications at an early stage. They want to identify the people who really DO want the job from be benefit bandits who are just manipulating the system. While AI helps eliminate unsuitable applicants, surveys show that it can sometimes mistakenly filter out highly qualified candidates who lack the right keywords or use non-traditional formats.

It's very weird. Ages ago I was offered an additional site in the job I was doing then. I started at the site, didn't need an interview, but I still had to apply for the job as if I wasn't. It took me an hour and a half with CV to fill in the application.

Fuck knows what that was about.

Minimum wage needs lowering, and then employers might start taking people on again.

If you lower the minimum wage, which is frankly already barely enough to live on as it is, then staff will have to rely on claiming benefits alongside their poverty wages to make ends meet and the tax payer picks up the bill...

I don’t think it’s minimum wage that’s the issue, I think the NI changes really crippled the job market and in particular low wage and part time jobs because of the additional burden on the employer. The unintended consequences- coupled with the impact of AI - is it’s incredibly difficult for people to get a starter role.

There is no net benefit surely to lowering min wage ?

People on min wage usually end up with some kind of additional benefit . Make that lower and we just have to pay more

I could see an argument for lower NI with higher min wage so that the money goes directly to the person rather than via the government

I could name a couple of private sector companies where external adverts are done only to keep HR off of everyone's backs. The internal candidate was selected before the external ad was even drawn up.

Totally agree. That's the way of the world. That's Capitalism for you . Always has been. Plus as you saud.OP is only applying for a job at her local school.

It really is. I was offered a promotion at work recently. Still had to have a formal interview though, as did ten or so others for completion. Such a total waste of everyone’s time, primarily the candidates who never stood a chance (not because I’m brilliant, but because the promotion was basically created for my skill set).

I worry we’re going to start spiralling though. Businesses can’t afford the wages easily so put prices up so they can pay staff. So cost of everything goes up. Then because stuff is more expensive people need further pay rises to afford it.

i know that countries like USA and Canada have a much higher wage economy but also stuff there is more expensive with groceries being about double.

Along with AI I blame Rachel from Accounts and her bloody jobs tax. What an own goal that was from someone who lied on her CV.