Jobseekers during a Hospitality House career fair in San Francisco on Aug. 13, 2025.David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesThe outlook seems to be getting worse for job seekers.The U.S.
economy added just 22,000 jobs in August, below expectations, and the unemployment rate rose to 4.3%, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday.Meanwhile, a data revision showed the economy lost 13,000 jobs in June — the first month of job losses since December 2020.
That loss ends the consecutive-job-growth streak that had lasted 53 months, from January 2021 through May 2025, according to Daniel Zhao, chief economist at Glassdoor, a career site.Outside of the pandemic, the U.S.
economy hasn't added this few jobs in the first eight months of a year since 2010, around the Great Recession, wrote Laura Ullrich, director of economic re for North America at Indeed."August's Employment Report confirmed that the labour market has headed off a cliff-edge," Bradley Saunders, a North America economist at Capital Economics, wrote in a note Friday.A frozen job marketThe report piles on top of other data issued this week showing a frozen labor market for job seekers, economists said.In July, the number of unemployed people eclipsed the number of job openings for the first time since April 2021, according to BLS data issued Wednesday.Employers have been hiring at the slowest pre-pandemic pace since 2013.
Meanwhile, layoffs have been low by historical standards, suggesting employers are in a holding pattern amid economic uncertainty and policy changes tariffs, economists said.Of course, the unemployment rate — which is at its highest in almost four years — is still at a "perfectly healthy level" relative to historical standards, Saunders wrote.Hiring in certain sectors healthcare and hospitality also remains "decent," Ullrich wrote.
But there's risk ahead that healthcare hiring slows further amid reduced federal Medicaid and social assistance funding in coming months and years, she wrote.All told, it's a "really challenging" environment for jobseekers, said Mandi Woodruff-Santos, a career coach."Think of the worst game of musical chairs you ever played, where there are 12 chairs and they've let 100 people go after those 12 chairs," she said.
"That's kind of how it feels these days."Advice for jobseekersWhile it's harder for workers to find new jobs right now, there are ways to enhance the odds of success, Woodruff-Santos said.
time and energy into building fessional relationships and networks is key, she said.
Those relationships may help get your foot in the door when a job opportunity becomes available, she said.More from Personal Finance:68 jobs may qualify for Trump's $25,000 'no tax on tips' deductionWhy coffee prices are so high — and where they're headed nextRecord numbers of retirement rs are now 401(k) or IRA millionairesFind ways to show up at events with people in your industry, whether individuals you're meeting for the first time or with colleagues, she said.Even sending s to former college fessors and teachers could be ductive, Indeed's Ullrich told CNBC.It's also important to keep your skills "sharp," by staying current on new software your industry may be using, for example, Woodruff-Santos said.Show off the skills and knowledge you already have to your fessional network, leveraging online platforms LinkedIn to talk what you do or are passionate , she added.
It's a good way to get attention from people who may not remember you."You can create your own platform," Woodruff-Santos said.
"Use your voice."The main thing is to keep "moving forward and doing something," perhaps by getting a part-time job in the meantime or broadening your job to sectors in which your skills are transferrable, Ullrich said.
Even volunteer opportunities can look work experience on a resume, which may show hiring managers you are adaptive, she added.Additionally, don't overlook "pivoting in place," Woodruff-Santos said.
Seek out opportunities to advance internally at your current company, whether taking on more responsibility, seeking a motion or shadowing someone to pick up new skill sets, she said.
There are ways to be entrepreneurial in your current job to set you up for future success, she said."What people really need right now is patience," Woodruff-Santos said."You'll start to feel there's no hope, but you can't let that cloud weigh you down," she said — lean on colleagues, friends, peers and coaching communities to help keep you going.