Find a Job You Really Want In
Millions of Americans are out of work unexpectedly and faced with a job search like no other in history.
Are people looking for work even while schools and businesses shutter? Or are more workers desperately filing for unemployment and waiting for normality to continue their job search? We dove into the search data to determine how people’s job search behavior has changed.
Results? Unemployment filings may have hit record highs, but job searches are a different story.
Summary
- By March 26th, unemployment searches exceeded job searches in all states
- March 15th marks the day when interest in unemployment shot up nationally
- While most states have had unemployment searches remain higher, Utah wavers closer to 50% and shifts
- Job sites like Indeed and recruiters have declined in search interest— More people may be unemployed, but job searches aren’t booming
- Interest in resumes and jobs interviews is lower than it’s been any week in the past 12 months except for Christmas week
- Tiger King and Zoom both peaked in search interest on the same day. Wonder how many remote workers muted Tiger King to hop on their first Zoom call?
How We Determined Job Search Behavior
This one was pretty simple. We used Google Trends to determine how job search behavior has changed since March, examining the past year in search behavior.
The bulk of our conclusions came from examining the search term “unemployment” and the search term “jobs.” Typically, search interest in unemployment is 20% that of interest in “jobs.” However, starting on March 15th, nationally interest in unemployment skyrocketed. Interest in jobs declined.
To highlight when the interest in unemployment surpassed the interest in jobs by state, we simply, starting in March, noted when each state’s search behavior changed for the first time. We examined other terms such as “Indeed,” “Resume,” “Zoom”, and even “Tiger King.”
You can see more of our breakdowns in screenshots below.
“Job” Searches Vs. “Unemployment” Searches For The Past 12 Months
Here is what 12 months of “job” and “unemployment” searches look like in the US. “Job” searches outnumber “unemployment” searches significantly. This is a good thing. In a healthy labor market, people search for jobs actively, even when they may be unemployed. However, in the past month, the tide shifted.
“Job” Searches Vs. “Unemployment” Searches For The Past 7 Days
As you can see from the tide of red, in every state but Utah “unemployment” searches have been higher than “job” searches for the past 7 days. Even Utah hovers at 49%, 51%, a significant increase.
Just to show, this is in no way seasonally impacted, here is the same week a year ago:
“Unemployment” searches are less than “job” searches in every state. We then dove into the data, to determine when “unemployment” searches passed “job” searches in every state:
Interest in “unemployment” surged in each state following closings of bars/restaurants and other non-essential businesses. In states where it peaked earlier, such as Missouri, it can typically be traced back to metro actions such as St. Louis.
People Aren’t Going Through The Job Search Funnel
People searching for “resume,” “job interview,” and related topics are actively looking for jobs and in the job search funnel. One of the first things a laid off employee does (hopefully, after blowing off a little steam) is refine their resume. That involves a surprising amount of google searches.
Yet, in a wave of unemployment, people aren’t revamping their resumes. And, judging from the decline in interview searches, people that are applying for jobs aren’t getting very far. Search for all of the above is lower than every other week in the past month except Christmas week.
As you can see below, interest in popular job search sites are also down:
Here’s What People ARE Searching For…
In our quest to see what people are searching for, we found this fun factoid, search interest in “Zoom” and “Tiger King” peaked at the same time period.
While we can’t guarantee that the newly remote employees are “Netflix and working”, it’s certainly fun to speculate about.
Other terms popping in popularity? Google Classroom, Chegg (a tutoring company), and self care related terms like cutting your own hair.
Closing Thoughts On Rising Interest In Unemployment But Not Jobs
When looking at this data, it’s important to remember that most job seekers start their job search while still gainfully employed. If you’re looking to move from one company to another, there is no need to research unemployment policies.
The decline in job search interest may be people who are still gainfully employed, but are reluctant to move jobs in the middle of a pandemic. Similarly, with many companies entering hiring freezes, skilled candidates may be receiving less tempting offers from other companies. The decreased searches for resumes and interview tips show the job market is in a weird limbo.
Ultimately, while you might expect the new unemployed to search for “jobs” after “unemployment,” we are in the middle of a pandemic.
Many who have lost their jobs may not feel safe working public facing jobs. Others may be furloughed and waiting for their jobs to return. While there are remote jobs and gig worker available, the coronavirus has certainly cooled the job market and many job seekers are still reeling from the whiplash.
Need more specific Google Trends data or a breakdown for cities in your area? Email kmorris@zippia.com with your requests
Author
Kathy is the head of content at Zippia with a knack for engaging audiences. Prior to joining Zippia, Kathy worked at Gateway Blend growing audiences across diverse brands. She graduated from Troy University with a degree in Social Science Education.
