Americans' outlook on the job market has turned increasingly pessimistic, with just 28% of workers in a quarterly Gallup survey conducted late last year saying now is a good time to find a quality job. Seventy-two percent said it is a bad time, marking a sharp reversal from mid-2022 when 70% said it was a good time to search for employment.
The survey, conducted during the final three months of 2025, found that job pessimism is especially pronounced among college graduates. Just 19% of workers with a college degree think now is a good time to find a quality job, compared with 35% of workers without a college degree. The gap in job market sentiment between Americans with and without a college degree is the widest since Gallup started asking the question in 2001.
What the Left Is Saying
Progressive economists and labor advocates point to weak hiring in white-collar professions as a driver of worker pessimism. The shift reflects hiring droughts in areas such as software, customer service and advertising, sectors that traditionally employ large numbers of college graduates. Labor economists aligned with Democratic policy priorities have argued that the 'low-hire, low-fire' job market disproportionately harms younger workers seeking to enter the workforce. The survey found that just about 2 in 10 workers ages 18-34 think now is a good time to find a job, compared with about 4 in 10 workers ages 65 and older. Progressive advocacy groups have called for policies aimed at increasing job creation and worker bargaining power, arguing that headline unemployment figures mask underlying weaknesses in the labor market.
What the Right Is Saying
Conservative analysts and Republican policymakers have emphasized that the unemployment rate remains low, pointing to continued job creation in many sectors. They argue that worker pessimism reflects broader cultural negativity rather than fundamental economic weakness. Some conservative commentators have suggested that media coverage and political rhetoric contribute to gloomy sentiment despite solid economic fundamentals. Republican economists have noted that businesses are maintaining their workforces, with layoff rates remaining quite low, suggesting relative economic stability. They argue that the hiring slowdown represents a return to normalcy after the post-pandemic expansion rather than a sign of economic distress.
What the Numbers Show
The hiring rate dropped to 3.2% in November 2025, the lowest since March 2013, according to Labor Department data. The hiring rate was 3.9% before the pandemic. Government data also shows 7.4 million unemployed people versus 6.9 million available jobs, a reversal from the first few years after the pandemic when vacancies outnumbered those out of work. Younger workers are much more likely than older workers to say they are actively looking for a new job or watching for opportunities, with most Gen Z and Millennial workers saying they are at least watching for opportunities, while about three-quarters of Baby Boomers say they are not looking at all. The Conference Board's consumer confidence survey was 91.2 in February, down from nearly 130 before the pandemic and not far from pandemic-era lows.
The Bottom Line
The Gallup findings help explain why Americans hold a largely bleak view of the economy despite headline measures suggesting growth and low job losses. The disconnect between unemployment rates and worker sentiment reflects a hiring market that has slowed significantly, making it harder for job seekers to find new positions even as layoffs remain low. The divide between older workers, who feel relatively secure, and younger workers, who struggle to find entry points into the labor market, represents a key dimension of this economic sentiment. Economists will continue to watch hiring rates and job openings data to assess whether the labor market strengthens or weakens further in coming quarters.