To think the job market is really bad at the moment?

[notfitforlife]

I've applied for jobs a few times over the last 5 years, and usually found there are plenty of jobs to apply for at a range of levels (from entry level/graduate jobs to senior roles) and I tend to hear back quite quickly from several jobs (usually within a day or so). However, that's not been the case at the moment. There are barely any jobs available to apply for, and the ones I have applied for haven't gotten back to me at all. I'm unemployed and am checking all the job sites multiple times a day and there's just not much coming up.

Has anyone else noticed this over the last month or so?

yes its not very good at the moment unless you're looking for very low paying unskilled jobs.

I’ve noticed this in the past 8-10 months. I come into contact with lots of people in the 20-40 age range on a daily basis, lots are in between jobs. I think we’ve been in a recession for a while.

I'm not seeing a shortage of jobs to apply for but I am really struggling to get shortlisted for interview. And of interviews I've had recently, all 3 were shit. 2 I couldn't stand the interviewer, and the 3rd was a lot less money than I'm currently on (advert specified "competitive salary" which really wasn't), a lot less holiday and pension, more hours and no flexible working.

I don't know if it's my age, crap cv, skills gap or just a general lack of jobs compared to candidates - or possibly a combination of all the above. I've decided to rewrite my CV and see if that helps.

Sorry, this doesn't help you if there aren't even jobs you can apply for, but you have my sympathy.

Yup, also finding it a real slog. I work in marketing/tech and there seems to be tons of people looking for jobs after layoffs, not many opportunities around, and the ones there are seem to be offering salaries that are lower than they would have been five years ago. Hoping it gets better after the end of the financial year

I'm glad to know I'm not the only one but gosh it's stressful! I'm unemployed at the moment and I'm having to claim Universal Credit for the first time despite having a master's and having worked in a niche area of marketing/copywriting before that always had so many jobs available! I'm not sure if we're also starting to see the impact of AI...

Are you on LinkedIn? I've just updated my status as available for work and I am getting approached, but unfortunately I haven't actually found anything I wanted to apply for.

I’m also a copywriter @notfitforlife 🤦‍♀️ - AI is definitely having an impact. It’s a huge worry. And many businesses are having their own cost of living crisis, hence the layoffs, poor salaries and - i’m hearing - hiring freezes everywhere.

I think age is also an issue in my case. Not much i can do about that!

Yes I think there’s just not the jobs coming up. I’m still in a full time role but it’s project management role so isn’t particularly safe so I’m trying to jump before being pushed and it’s severely lacking in roles that are coming up. I hear back when it’s through a direct company site and is a company I know but never from the quick apply ones on indeed and LinkedIn. Those jobs stay up forever too so I’m starting to think aren’t even real. It’s hard out there in all sectors!!

@Flyonthewall01 you might be right about indeed - these are the jobs I apply for and rarely hear back. I've been applying since the New Year and have noticed jobs getting relisted again and again. Then there are employers looking for my role who I know for a fact were also recruiting every other time I've looked, and I do think "what have you done with the last 3?"

I don't trust indeed.

I am not a recruiter, but act as recruiting manager for my team. We post job adverts on indeed, as well as other sites.

Once the position is full we do take the adverts down, but I keep seeing them pop up!

We only leave adverts up a couple of days, max 1 week. If I went on indeed now I'd see stuff that we were recruiting for from before Christmas.

I've been struggling to find finance roles where they're not trying to cram 2-3 different roles into one, with really terrible pay.
Even my current company recruited someone into our department but the job spec was 2 different roles combined (but not double pay!)
I was only looking to leave because they made someone redundant as apparently the role wasn't required but now I'm doing all of that work plus my actual job!
But looking at the roles available it seems like the majority of places are doing the same thing so not really sure what to do anymore

I am finding enough...but i am not getting a look in. After i apply it says how many others have...it was 2000..for one role 😭😭😭 so can't get to interview stage :(

Yes! Six months ago I was getting daily calls from recruiters, now absolutely nothing.

@Pickles2023 I'm finding the same. Well not 2000 but one role was 600.

However, a couple were only 6-10 and didn't get those either so I don't know what's worse...

Agree. My friends daughter is due to qualify as a nurse soon so is looking for jobs. According to our trust website there are 3 nursing vacancies. There are a couple of sister posts but let’s be honest they are more management roles rather than hands on. It’s bewildering as the wards are massively understaffed and forever trying to cadge staff from other areas.

I'm also in marketing/copywriting and concerned about AI.

So many jobs now ask for experience in writing with AI which interests me not at all. Or they're fully remote (urgh) for tech/crypto/SAAS companies which makes me want to fall asleep at my desk.

Most definitely not a good market for jobs right now. I am a contractor, so I am regularly checking for new roles (think once every 18 months or so). I can say that it is very very hard at the moment - few jobs available, and those that do come up are very very specific (they know they can be). On sites such as linked in, you can see how many applications there have been from people - often well over a hundred. Simply getting an interview is a big success from such as open field; getting the job on offer is very rare :-( - especially when it feel like "Must have 10 years experience, be willing to travel all around the UK, accept lower wages than you were on AND be call Fred. Also must be white and male"

I can only suggest you do what I have seen some of my friends have done - "it is not what you know but who" - see if you can leverage any linked in opportunities and see if any people you know work there. It has worked for at least 2 people I know of....

It's definitely the market - I've had it 3 times in 4 months where I've got to final interview and the funding for the role has been pulled and the job no longer exists or is no longer available

Had this too. Marketing Manager role, two interviews, they've pulled the funding and I've now seen it reshared as a Marketing Exec role for about 10k less.

It’s the “competitive” salary / pension etc that’s driving me potty. Two recent situations

1. I had an interview for a £26k role deputy office manager role. I’m currently an office manager with more responsibility. A lot less money than I was on but PT and local. They said they loved me but someone else had the industry specific experience but there was a “senior” admin role and would I be interested. I said yes and the offer, for the so called senior role, is from £11.50ph. Which come April is 6p above minimum wage. Asked for more money but was told I didn’t have the industry experience so they couldn’t. It’s a admin job, I work in a niche sector but I learnt all the jargon and would again. So I declined.
2. Offered another job elsewhere and was offered £700 more than I was already on. The so called “competitive” pension means it’s a pay cut. Asked for more money because that was ridiculous and was again told no because I don’t have the experience. And I’m like, no, I am literally overqualified.

not even great there either...

@PurBal Apparently "competitive" is code for "uncompetitive shit package" according to my recruiter friend. I had no idea either, and it's annoying because between application including cover letter, 2 specific questions which took half an hour to answer fully, interview prep, travel to and from interview as well as interview itself, I ended up wasting 5/6 hours of my time. Plus fuel and parking. All for a job that I wouldn't have accepted even if I'd been offered it - which I wasn't in any case!

I'm feeling quite dejected to be honest. Dejected and rejected. I really don't enjoy my current role (understatement) but I just can't face wasting anymore time on pointless applications, interviews and preparation for interviews for jobs that I don't get offered or want in the first place!

I really hope the others on this thread the best of luck with your search.

I am also searching job in it sector,its been a month still nothing fruitful.Never seen such a quiet market, hoping to be better in april.

My DH is contractor and in 15 years never been so slow to get next contract . I'm really worried what it will mean for us, we may have to sell house. It's so anonymous too and soul crushing. Sending out applications and hearing nothing. Of recruiters call several times , then ghost him.

I've been looking intensively since july and only just got hired. One thing I'm finding bizarre is companies advertising a role and never hiring for it. Things I was dismissed out of hand for in july are still advertised now. As a business, if you've lived without this thing for 8+ months, do you even need it?