15+ Incredible Job Search Statistics [2023]: What Job Seekers Need To Know

Research Summary. If you’re in the market for a new job, chances are the process can feel overwhelming, especially if you haven’t looked for a new position recently. While the power of the internet has made job searching much easier than traditional methods, it’s also gotten more competitive, as demonstrated by the following:

• 65% of currently employed individuals are looking for new jobs as of 2022.

• The average time to find a job in 2023 is five months.

• 80% of all job searches are done online as of 2022.

• 85% of all jobs are filled through networking.

• Roughly 50% of job applications come from job boards.

For further analysis, we broke down the data in the following ways:
Online | Social Media | Interview

Networking Job Search Statistics

Networking is a vital part of any career path. You can network at your current job, at industry or career-building events, or even online through platforms such as LinkedIn. Networking is a great way to meet new people in your industry who may become future employers or business partners.

Networking can give you insight into an industry or career path you may not know too much about. Additionally, networking can open up many opportunities for new jobs, as indicated by the research below:

• 70% of all jobs are never published publicly.

  Many of these jobs are either posted internally to those already at the company or created specifically for candidates that recruiters may meet through networking. Networking is an ideal way to land a job, as you can ask key questions and gain specific insight before applying for the job at hand.

• Networking job searchers have higher success rates, with a job match occurring in a time frame of one to three months.

  Additionally, these job offers are often higher in quality. Network connections are more likely to be well-connected and established, making them more likely to provide a job referral with a higher salary and a higher title.

Online Job Search Statistics

The internet has revolutionized the way job seekers find potential employment. With job search sites and online recruiters, the world looks very different for someone on a job hunt. Many recruiters also use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to organize their applicants and candidates for different clients. Online job searching can be a double-edged sword, as indicated by the statistics below.

• 75% of online applications get rejected by ATS simply by the way they are formatted.

  ATS is used because 50% of online job applications do not meet the criteria stated in job advertisements. This can be frustrating for recruiters, and the common solution is an ATS.

  Be aware of the common errors ATS picks up in resumes and eliminate them from your documents so you’re not rejected before you’ve even gotten a chance to interview.

• 40% of job seekers report that silence from recruiters during or after the recruitment process is one of their biggest challenges.

  21% reported that their biggest issue was crafting a resume and getting noticed, while 18% reported that getting insights on the company they were applying for was challenging.



• 48% of job seekers reported that waiting to hear back from employers is ‘highly frustrating.’

  Depending on how quickly the company you’re applying to works, the response time can vary. On average, 44% of job seekers hear back from employers within a couple of weeks, 37% hear back within one week, while only 4% hear back within one day.

Job Search On Social Media Statistics

Just like new technology has revolutionized the application process, social media has changed what a job search might look like. Many job seekers find success at finding open positions on social media. To demonstrate how widely this is used, check out the statistics below:

• 79% of job seekers use social media when conducting their job search.

  Additionally, over 84% of organizations use social media as a recruiting tool, with another 9% reporting that they’re planning to if they haven’t done so already.

• More than 90% of recruiters use LinkedIn to search for candidates to fill company job openings.

  LinkedIn is a significant platform to be on, especially when looking for a new job. Over 50 million companies have a presence on LinkedIn. Additionally, 46 million students and recent graduates are on the platform, making this essential for any job seeker looking to stand out from the competition.

• 96% of companies believe employer brand and reputation can positively or negatively impact revenue, yet less than half monitor that impact.

  Only 44% of companies actively track how their brand and reputation impact their hiring statistics.

Job Interview Statistics

When it comes down to it, the job-seeking pool is incredibly large. Especially in the aftermath of COVID, many job seekers are looking for remote work and actively trying to shift out of their careers. Many job seekers will apply to jobs but never even hear back for an interview. Although this can feel frustrating, it’s more common than you may think.

• The average company interviews around 6 to 10 people for an open position.

  Additionally, some, if not most of these candidates, may interview at least two to three times with the recruiter or hiring manager.

• The average hiring manager will invite 2-4 candidates for an onsite interview.

  This could depend on the types of candidates they received during your round of interviews. If there was only one qualified candidate, they might invite that one person while continuing a search for new candidates.

• A referral who gets an interview has a 40% better chance of being hired than other candidates.

  Referrals account for between 30 to 50% of hires in the United States. Those who receive referrals are more likely to read their resume, land an interview, and ultimately get an offer.

Job Search FAQ

1. How many people are searching for jobs?

   10.7 million Americans are currently looking for employment. And there are more openings than there are seekers, as there are 11.5 million jobs available as of March 2022.

2. How long is the average job search?

   The average time to find a job in 2023 spans about five months. Really it can be a range from eight weeks to six months, but there is always some delay. Even if a candidate receives an interview shortly after their application, 52% of recruiters say the average time-to-hire after the interview takes 3 weeks.

3. What is the best way to search for jobs?

   Networking is the best way to land a job. However, there are many effective ways to search for new jobs you should know about. Here are the top 6:

   • Networking

   • Referrals

   • Job Boards

   • Job Fairs

   • Company Website

   • Recruiters

4. What percentage of applicants get an interview?

   Only around 30% of applicants receive an interview. Of course, this varies depending on how many applications you put out.

   For example, 47.3% of people who submit up to ten job applications receive at least one interview, meaning that the more applications you submit, the more interviews you’ll receive. That might seem obvious, but it’s hard to understand just how big of a difference quantity can make.

   Of those who submit less than ten applications, over 35% will not receive an interview. Meanwhile, that number drops to just under 20% for those who sent 21-80 applications.

5. What percentage of jobs are found through networking?

   Roughly 85% of all jobs are filled through networking. In fact, around 70% of jobs are never even published publicly, meaning the vast majority are found and filled through recruiters, employee referrals, and other forms of networking.

   LinkedIn is one of the most popular networking sites for jobs, with more than 90% of recruiters using the site to search for potential candidates. Over 50 million companies have a presence on LinkedIn, and roughly 46 million students and recent graduates are on the platform as well.

6. What percentage of jobs are found online?

   80% of jobs are found online. Mainly, these jobs are found through searches, job boards, and company websites.

   However, while online job searches have become the most common form of job hunting, the process can also cause headaches for employers and applicants. In general, 75% of online applications are rejected by ATS due to formatting issues, and 50% of online job applications don’t even meet the criteria stated in job advertisements.

7. What length of time is the average job search?

   81% of applicants hear back from the employer from one week to a couple of weeks. Broken down further, the largest percentage (44%) found that they waited a couple of weeks to hear back from an employer. This is then followed by 37% hearing back within one week and only 4% hearing back within one day.

   Overall, the length of time it takes for employers to respond to potential employees can be very frustrating, with 48% of applicants saying such.

Conclusion

Job searching can be intimidating. The process itself can feel like full-time work and often drags on for months. However, being aware of the best ways to look for and land a job can significantly improve your success in getting the job of your dreams.

Be sure to do your research and reach out to other people in your industry to begin networking if you haven’t already.

Don’t get overwhelmed by the statistics of how many people are looking for a job right now. Focus your time and effort on the career you’re interested in and spend time with people who work for companies or in career fields you admire. The job market is hungry for new, qualified candidates. You just have to find the right fit for you.

References

1. CNBC. “How to get a job often comes down to one elite personal asset, and many people still don’t realize it.” Accessed on September 30, 2021.

2. Economic Research. “How Does Networking Affect Your Job Search?” Accessed on September 30, 2021.

3. Real Life Career Advice. “Applicant Tracking Systems: how to beat them in 2021.” Accessed on September 30, 2021.

4. YourStory. “What are the biggest challenges job seekers face today? Here what 6900 professionals share with YourStory and Indeed.” Accessed on September 30, 2021.

5. Indeed. “QA: How Long Should You Wait to Hear Back About a Job?” Accessed on September 30, 2021.

6. Apollo Technical. “Surprising Social Media Recruiting Statistics (2021).” Accessed on September 30, 2021.

7. CareerArc. “29 Surprising Stats on Employer Branding – Infographic.” Accessed on September 30, 2021.

8. Career Sidekick. “How Many Interviews For One Job? (Stats from a Recruiter).” Accessed on September 30, 2021.

9. Quartz. “Employers ignore almost everything on your application – except this.” Accessed on October 1, 2021.

Author

Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.