Job search and hiring statistics, 2026
US numbers on looking for work and hiring, each from its original source, with the date and a link.
- 7.5 millionUS job openings, September 2026U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- 11.9 weeksMedian time unemployed, October 2026U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- 291Applications per hire at companies using Ashby, 2026Ashby
- 81%US candidates rejected without speaking to anyone, 2026Greenhouse
How many job openings are there in the US?
US employers had 7.5 million job openings in September 2026, an openings rate of 4.5%.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, November 2026Link to this finding
US employers hired 5.4 million people in September 2026, a hires rate of 3.4%.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, November 2026Link to this finding
3.4 million US workers quit their jobs in September 2026, a quits rate of 2.1%.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, November 2026Link to this finding
US employers laid off or discharged 1.6 million workers in September 2026, a rate of 1.0%.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, November 2026Link to this finding
How long does it take to find a job?
In October 2026, the median unemployed person in the US had been unemployed for 11.9 weeks.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, November 2026Link to this finding
In October 2026, unemployed people in the US had been unemployed for an average of 27.1 weeks.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, November 2026Link to this finding
2.0 million people in the US had been unemployed for 27 weeks or more in October 2026, 27.6% of all unemployed people.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, November 2026Link to this finding
How do people look for work?
In 2025, 56.1% of unemployed job seekers in the US sent out resumes or applications, and 23.7% contacted friends or relatives.
In a 2015 Pew study, 80% of recent US job seekers used professional or personal connections in their latest search.
Pew Research Center, November 2015Link to this finding
How many people apply to each job?
Recruiters at companies using Ashby handled 291 applications per hire by March 2026, up from about 100 in early 2021.
Ashby, April 2026Link to this finding
Nearly 10,000 LinkedIn members apply for jobs every minute, LinkedIn said in May 2025.
In 2025, US job seekers on LinkedIn sent about twice as many applications as before the pandemic.
How long does it take to hire someone?
The median time to fill a nonexecutive job was 39 calendar days in SHRM's 2026 benchmarks.
SHRM, 2026Link to this finding
Across companies using Greenhouse, the average time to hire was 46 days in Q3 2024, 12% longer than a year earlier.
Greenhouse, December 2024Link to this finding
At companies using Ashby, hired technical candidates took about 18 days from first to last interview, and business candidates about 14.
Ashby, May 2026Link to this finding
How many job postings list a salary?
59% of US job postings on Indeed included pay in May 2025.
Indeed Hiring Lab, July 2025Link to this finding
97.7% of New York job postings on Indeed listed pay in September 2024, after the state's pay transparency law took effect.
Indeed Hiring Lab, October 2024Link to this finding
In May 2025, 44% of US physician postings and 53% of nurse postings on Indeed included pay.
Indeed Hiring Lab, July 2025Link to this finding
Is it harder for new graduates to get hired?
Recent US college graduates had an unemployment rate of 5.2% in the third quarter of 2026.
Federal Reserve Bank of New York, November 2026Link to this finding
42.5% of recent US college graduates worked in jobs that do not usually need a degree in the third quarter of 2026.
Federal Reserve Bank of New York, November 2026Link to this finding
US employers planned to hire 5.6% more graduates from the Class of 2026 than the year before, in NACE's spring 2026 survey.
National Association of Colleges and Employers, April 2026Link to this finding
By June 2026, employment of 22- to 25-year-olds in AI-exposed US jobs stood 19% below where it would be had it kept pace with less-exposed peers.
Stanford Digital Economy Lab, August 2026Link to this finding
Employment of 22- to 25-year-olds in the most AI-exposed US jobs fell about 11% from November 2022 to June 2026.
Stanford Digital Economy Lab, August 2026Link to this finding
How many US jobs are remote or hybrid?
In October 2026, 22.1% of people at work in the US teleworked or worked at home for pay.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, November 2026Link to this finding
In October 2026, 10.6% of people at work in the US teleworked all of their hours and 11.5% some of them.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, November 2026Link to this finding
27.06% of paid full workdays in the US were worked from home in October 2026.
WFH Research, October 2026Link to this finding
In October 2026, 26.02% of US full-time employees worked hybrid and 12.39% worked fully remote.
WFH Research, October 2026Link to this finding
How are employers and job seekers using AI in hiring?
77% of US job seekers used AI in their job search, in Greenhouse's 2026 survey.
Greenhouse, October 2026Link to this finding
27% of organizations use AI for recruitment, SHRM reported in March 2026.
SHRM, March 2026Link to this finding
66% of US adults said they would not want to apply for a job with an employer that uses AI to help make hiring decisions, in a 2022 Pew survey.
Pew Research Center, April 2023Link to this finding
How often do job seekers get ghosted?
81% of US candidates had been rejected from a job without speaking to anyone at the company, in Greenhouse's 2026 survey.
Greenhouse, October 2026Link to this finding
Of US candidates who interviewed, 45% complained of being ghosted by the employer, the most common complaint, in Greenhouse's 2026 survey.
Greenhouse, October 2026Link to this finding
61% of job seekers in the US, UK and Germany had been ghosted after a job interview, in Greenhouse's 2024 survey.
Greenhouse, December 2024Link to this finding
In each quarter of 2024, 18% to 22% of jobs posted on Greenhouse were classed as ghost jobs, advertised with no intent to hire.
Greenhouse, December 2024Link to this finding
How long do people stay in a job?
US wage and salary workers had been with their current employer for a median of 4.1 years in January 2026, up from 3.9 years in January 2024.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, September 2026Link to this finding
In January 2026, US workers aged 55 to 64 had a median tenure of 9.6 years, and workers aged 25 to 34 had 3.0 years.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, September 2026Link to this finding
How we chose these numbers
Each number comes from the organization that measured it: US government agencies, the New York Fed, universities, research groups and associations, and companies reporting their own data or surveys.
We opened every source on November 12, 2026 and copied each number as published. We did not round or adjust any of them. The date at the top is the last day we checked them all.
Numbers from Ashby, Greenhouse and LinkedIn describe those companies' own customers, members or survey respondents, not the whole US job market. Where a survey covers more than the US, the line says so.
We left out numbers we found only on roundup sites, with no original study we could open.
How to cite this page
Elip, "Job Search and Hiring Statistics 2026", https://tryelip.ai/research/job-search-statistics, November 2026.
To point to one number, use its link. For the number itself, cite the source named under it.