It’s the trenches. It’s the nine circles of hell. It’s a rollercoaster and a vicious circle all at once. You name it, and chances are it describes what the job market feels like right now.
One Reddit user asked unemployed people to share just how tough things are out there, and they definitely didn’t hold back. Between AI, ghost listings, endless interview rounds, and fierce competition, judging by their replies, trying to land a job these days may as well be a lottery. Read their experiences below.
#1
I used someone else’s phone to call my own phone to make sure it is actually working, that is how my job search is going.
Image source: realcanadianguy21, defstock (not the actual photo)
#2
Went from 65k plus a year to hoping to hear back on a retail cashier job just to pay the bills as unemployment isn’t cutting it.
Image source: MNJayW, pch.vector (not the actual photo)
#3
I built a career freelancing in my industry for 10 years. I worked for some of the biggest companies in the sector, but since AI blew up, my job became defunct.
I can’t even get an interview for any position related to that work anymore, at any level. I’m at the point of applying to Trader Joe’s and fast food places, where I also can’t get an interview.
I’m confused how most people have jobs—I can’t get seen for any kind of job in any kind of field, and I’m kind of at a loss.
Image source: ququqachu, Helena Lopes (not the actual photo)
#4
You legit have to know people. Networking is real and important. Never burn bridges, you never know who you will need in the future.
Image source: bikkaboo, Curated Lifestyle (not the actual photo)
#5
My wife has an MBA, and 20 years of experience. Marketing is a ghastly graveyard, and until AI tools are charged at their actual cost to the businesses, everybody thinks they can do all of the marketing for basically free.
Image source: seanzorio, Getty Images (not the actual photo)
#6
I worked for 10 years as a proofreader before getting laid off back in November. Companies won’t even touch me now that I’m past 6 months of unemployment.
I’m still getting freelance projects from time to time, but it feels like there are a ton of good candidates in the pool and companies are getting to be super picky about who they’ll even talk to, especially for the kind of niche work I do that people think can be solved with AI.
Image source: houseofthedad, Getty Images (not the actual photo)
#7
240 applications send, 210 replies, 15 interviews, 10 gave a reason for rejection, reason being lack of experience and no notes on what I could do better.
So yeah, it’s starting to be an active effort to not be bitter.
Image source: ThatGuyYouForget, Curated Lifestyle (not the actual photo)
#8
The worst it’s ever been in my lifetime. I’m 38. I graduated in 2009, after the financial crisis and I had an easier time getting work then than now with 15+ years of experience in my field.
Image source: ObserverPro, Annie Spratt (not the actual photo)
#9
It’s made me seriously consider:
1) Living in the woods.
2) Crime to go jail to survive.
3) Leaving the country and trying somewhere else.
4) Simply passing away.
Image source: Money_Management_721, Sandra Seitamaa (not the actual photo)
#10
I lost my job Oct 31st. I just got a job last week for thousands less than I was making previously.
The job market is horrendous.
I experienced deep depression, breakdowns… And then, unemployment ceased. No extension. No food stamps. No rental assistance. I was a student, and I thought that could make me eligible for emergency extensions, not anymore…
I signed up for my county’s career center classes, learned a trade, no extension, no job (and it was practically promised to us.), I am in debt, my bank balance is literally at 0.04 I can’t afford to do laundry (my place doesn’t have a unit so I hand wash each outfit) my parents pay my rent, my girlfriend has helped me out with food but that isn’t too much since I’m so depressed and I felt so worthless that I just don’t eat.
This entire process was one big reality check, I am so loved. The times when I wasn’t annoying and overly proud to ask for help (except for the laundry stuff idk why…but that being said, my best friend one time took my entire wardrobe and did it for me once.) I was able to see people really care for me. Ensure I had meals, ensure I had entertainment, ensured I laughed…and it if they didn’t make sure my dog had her prescription food and her insulin. I felt like trash these few months, but wow, I am loved.
So, if that doesn’t answer your question:
TL;DR
I am a tradesman, who entered the corporate world after obtaining a degree, who was laid off who then learned a second trade, while obtaining a second degree, and it took me nearly a year to find employment. Any jerk who says “better find a trade” needs to hop off the sack and open their eyes.
And these companies out here ghosting? Or relying on AI to make DECISIONS?! Shame on all of you, karma is real. May not be “mythic” but it’s real, and you’ll know it.
Image source: Apprehensive_Hat9512, Getty Images (not the actual photo)
#11
Out a job for a month. Finally got an offer. Butter Production machine operator at Land O’Lakes for $29.50/hour.
Image source: phathobo12345, Natalie Behn (not the actual photo)
#12
USA, Software engineer with degree and big tech on my resume
6 months and 1500 applications to land a role I had to move cross country for though it’s back to where my family is from
Grateful to have work even if it is a slight paycut.
Image source: FrontCompetitive, Getty Images (not the actual photo)
#13
Been 2 months for me. I did 2 interviews with the same company – from what I understand, it’s down to me and someone else. Waiting to hear if I get an offer. Fingers crossed!
I’m already going crazy after 2 months, not sure how others are handling even longer unemployment.
Image source: Scortor, sarah b (not the actual photo)
#14
It’s been a year. Lost track of number of applications. Almost never hear back. At this point I’m increasingly falling into learned helplessness because nothing seems to work. I have over a decade of experience, degrees, decently impressive volunteering work, and none of it matters.
Close friend with 25 years of experience took 4 months and dozens of interviews to land a position. Market is horrible, frick the oligarchs.
Image source: Dexanth, Getty Images (not the actual photo)
#15
Last year I was making 6 figures as a software engineer with decades of experience.
I’m a bartender now.
Image source: Boomer70770, Onur Burak Akın (not the actual photo)
#16
In 2023 I left my job with no prospects. Within a month a company found me despite me only applying to a couple places per day
In September of 2025 the hospital I was working for closed and I started looking for something new.
I’m still looking.
Image source: Effendoor, Getty Images (not the actual photo)
#17
I spent eleven months bouncing between homeless shelters and looking for jobs. Literally any job. I got a few calls and finally landed a brutally hard job carrying around frozen goats and massive boxes of meat in a giant freezer for not remotely enough money to live on. I spend an absurd amount of time just on the bus and walking there. I need it and I’m thankful to have it. Good luck. Don’t stop trying.
Image source: SolitaryCairn, Levi Meir Clancy (not the actual photo)
#18
I have a BS in Biology, an MS in secondary science education, three internships, professional science research work…
And I can’t find a job. Not teaching. Not subbing. Not science. Not office work. Not even entry-level retail or restaurant work. Can’t even get a phone screening.
Basically I’ve been told that any chances of me having a career (or even making $40K) may be over.
Image source: Objective-Beyond-219, Getty Images (not the actual photo)
#19
I got rejected from a job yesterday because I express interest in growth within their company.
Image source: aubsalot, Vitaly Gariev (not the actual photo)
#20
It’s been 4 months for me and feels very demoralizing. I am able to secure interviews and make it through multiple rounds, but I keep getting passed up on for the role in the end. Rejection emails are just as generic no matter how far I get in the interview process and feedback is hard to come by.
Image source: jaked111, Vitaly Gariev (not the actual photo)
#21
It took me 2.5 years to get this job I recently-ish started and I only got it because I ran into my now coworker at a wedding. It’s not great.
Image source: TheeVande, Victoria Priessnitz (not the actual photo)
#22
I went back to school during Covid to transition out of education and into research. Got my masters last May.
I haven’t been able to find anything. I even slunk back to education, and I can’t get anything full time. I settled for a job as a para because I can’t find anything else.
Image source: MrFiendish, Getty Images (not the actual photo)
#23
My brother in IT , spent the last 20 years bing in high demand, had companys fighting over him all the time. Did everything right has the degree and all the extra training and certs for his specialty. Dude been out of work for 2 years now.
Image source: Ok-Somewhere-2325, Getty Images (not the actual photo)
#24
I just got the offer email 5 mins ago. I was unemployed a little over 2 months.
Edit; I ended up accepting another offer from a different place. 2 minute drive from my house instead of 25, and pays 15k better than the other offer. (30% pay increase from the job I was laid off from).
Image source: TwasARockLobsta, Vitaly Gariev (not the actual photo)
#25
Canada, was unemployed for 6 months. Finally got a job that I am extremely overqualified for. Plus side is that everybody here seems super impressed by my basic level of competency.
Image source: Sitruc9861, engin akyurt (not the actual photo)
#26
It’s the worst market of my 20 year career.
Image source: ReconeHelmut, Getty Images (not the actual photo)
#27
The job market is so bad I pivoted to starting my own business. Still been looking for work in my field and definitely not my field for years now while I run my own LLC.
Image source: everythymewetouch, Curated Lifestyle (not the actual photo)
#28
It’s terrible that I wake up every morning feeling like a failure.
Image source: classicalnovel, Annie Spratt (not the actual photo)
#29
Took me 6 months to find a job, and it doesn’t even require a degree. I can’t imagine how hard it is past entry level.
Image source: mugghin, https://kaboompics.com/ (not the actual photo)
#30
My spouse (PhD in a STEM field, 10 years work experience post-PhD) got laid off in October 2024. In October 2025 they finally got a part-time job as a security guard for $18.50/hr. They just got an offer for a full-time position relevant to their degree and experience in May 2026, for $35K/year less than they were making before they were laid off.
Edit: Also to add, they only got the security guard position because I personally knew the hiring manager and basically begged him to hire my spouse.
Image source: WardenCommCousland, MART PRODUCTION (not the actual photo)
#31
In my country this problems has been going on for 40 years, and is getting worse year by years since the country is stagnating in every way possible you can imagine. You are dependent on your parents or partner in your older age, and you know your parents will be unable to live on their pension and you will have to support them when you finally get a job. Unfortunately many young people (79%) still live with their parent employer or unemployed…life is not fair!
Image source: AcolythusLatinus
#32
My husband found a job in his field after 11 months of looking…. and it is part time. He had many interviews. (Edited to add, he started last week)
I am currently employed but have been looking to leave, I have been applying for work for over a year and haven’t even gotten one interview. Even for ads that I fit 90-100%. Its crazy.
Image source: Full-Flatworm6271
#33
14+ years of experience, 2 degrees, and a cert.
Laid off 10 months ago, nearly 2,000 applications, and barely any reponse.
Last interview saw me pushed through to final round with CEO, rescheduled, canceled while some things got updated, then rejected.
I get a lot of stuff like, “I know you did this as part of your last job, but we want someone who did only this for at least 5 years.”
And
“Im sure you could do this, but we need someone who has already done this.”.
Image source: watchyerheadgoose
#34
It’s like running through a corn field backwards with a broke flip flop.
Image source: Common-Accountant-57
#35
It took me 7 months to find a job and that was in 2023 after my husband got fired and I was a stay at home mom. In 2025 I knew my a coworker at a former employer was retiring from my former job title.
One day I got so overwhelmed with the micromanaging of the current job and being belittled by my boss that I quit with no notice. Only hopes and dreams of getting my old job back lol. That’s about when I started paying attention to “it’s rough out here!” And I got a little nervous. I did get the job though but I also realize what I moron I was to quit with nothing lined up. Just super glad it worked out.
Image source: Dakizo
#36
Our mat leave filler position had PhDs and Masters educated people with solid work histories applying.
In the end my boss gave up filtering through overqualified people, fakes, AI, and picked the nephew of a retired old employee. Their nepoti. Literal nepotism at work but honestly the more sensible choice these days after getting swamped by 600 AI resumes and people who don’t even live in the country. At least the kid is real and local.
Image source: huehuehuehuehuuuu
#37
I work in Human Resources in the US. The job market is really bad. I am feeling for anyone that is job searching right now.
Image source: GumdropBoyReborn
#38
I’ve applied to probably 150 openings.
I have gotten 3 emails back, two telling me the position had already been filled and one saying they weren’t moving forward with my application. Not a single interview.
I recently graduated from law school and have years of prior work experience, I got okay grades from an okay school.
Legal research, law clerk, tech writer, paralegal, secretarial work, hotel front desk, seasonal retail, driving a van full of inflatables around. Nothing. Not a single reply.
It’s rough.
Image source: Its_Curse
#39
I’m honestly completely screwed. Worked as a freelance animator for the last 10 years, was able to consistently get work, made pretty good money to where we were comfortable getting a home with a mortgage.
Now I can’t even get a fast food gig or a dishwashing gig at whole foods. Gonna lose our home probably, gonna get divorced and my wife and daughter will end up living with her parents while I just end up breaking my sobriety and staying in a friend’s couch.
Image source: cranberryalarmclock
#40
Not unemployed but currently hiring. We’ve experienced about twice the volume of applications we normally get. We don’t get a huge volume so I don’t use any AI sorting like some larger companies might, so I can’t offer any tricks for getting past those. But just know not everyone is using them.
Those who do apply, about 60% of them are switching industries right now. Really skilled people have been obviously struggling this year and have been pushed into jobs that don’t match their experience/skills, and people entering the job market are struggling to push into career industries. The market is trash. It’s definitely competitive but showcasing your soft skills and your conversational skills is still working. If you’re getting a phone interview, you’ve already beat out a lot of people.
If you’re not getting phone calls, apply for smaller businesses. If small businesses aren’t calling, it’s not a AI-sorting issue like a lot of people immediately chalk it up to. There could be a red flag on your resume that you aren’t seeing. I’m seeing a lot of decently formatted resumes that still do not have core information or have not even been updated recently. The bar isn’t as high as some people want you to think.
None of what I said applies to the tech industry…. good luck out there if you’re in anything tech related right now. It’s a rollercoaster and it’s changing every week. Startups get one deal, think they can hire 100 people, and go bankrupt next month.
Image source: possumslxt
#41
I was unemployed for a year. Absolute hell. Hundreds and hundreds of well-written cover letters, solid references, and relevant examples of work. Applied directly on company websites. Literally ZERO contact for an interview.
I just accepted an amazing offer from a company where—you guessed it—a friend recommended me for the position. I would literally be homeless without him.
Image source: Em-Dashing
#42
I consider myself super lucky that I shifted out of my old career (graphic design) more than 10 years ago into a much more secure job in healthcare. Soooo many of my old college friends (tech school. So design/marketing, computer engineering/IT) are out of work and I’m really concerned for a few of them.
Incidentally, there’s still so many positions in healthcare! If you have the wherewithal (and interest) to make that change.
Image source: Gelliebeen
#43
Wife has 2 degrees, 1 diploma, 2 certificates, 9 years experience, 3 years unemployed.
Image source: JMJimmy
#44
I look to see new jobs and none in my field. I get rejection letters more than interviews. And everyday you hear about more layoffs. More people who will now join us in refreshing the minimal jobs out there.
Image source: WeowDystopia
#45
Graphic designer. Unemployed for over a year. Have to compete with over 70 people per application. Only landed one interview where it came down to me and two others. Never heard back from them.
Can’t even get a job at a restaurant because I have no experience there either. My money has been draining so hard.
Image source: Van_Bur3n
#46
Honestly, it feels like getting an interview is a job by itself these days.
Image source: elara71
#47
I just graduated in May but I’m having a hard time finding a job in my field.. 100 applications, 4 interviews, but nothing so far.
Image source: ClefairyHann
#48
I reached out to people and applied for positions I told myself I won’t ever consider doing.
Image source: Thalva
#49
I’m not unemployed any longer, hallelujah. But as of a couple months ago, it was rough. Jobs aren’t paying squat, and the ones that do are snatched up by someone else. The real annoying thing is all the corporate jobs do 2+ interviews nowadays, so you might spend a lot of time and effort just to get a rejection and do it all over again
I found my job through a lead from a current employee, that’s the only way I would have heard about it. I think networking is the most powerful tool you can have in the market lately, that’s really where you’ll get the best opportunity.
Image source: RandomHero25
#50
Tech sales here, 10 years experience. 7 months, 62 interviews across 30 companies, made it to the final round 9 times (currently waiting to hear back from one), 0 offers.
Currently in process at a company where I have a direct referral in with the hiring manager. I have more than enough experience, and felt my panel interview went well. But somehow even that does not feel like enough anymore. Its like the planets need to align and it’s all fully outside of your control.
Image source: thegreatdane1490
#51
I’ll give the other side of this. I’m a senior/principal level engineer with the kind of skills that could be used to make the next robot that takes all the jobs, and my wife has even better credentials to develop the next big LLM to take all the jobs.
The assorted evil empires of the world are all relentlessly cold-calling with disgusting sums of money for us (especially her) to sell our souls. But the companies that actually care about social good, the environment, and generally avoiding a technofascist dystopia are so badly outfunded that they’re not even posting senior-level job openings.
Finding a job is easy. Finding a job that lets you sleep well at night is equally bleak. (Obviously this is an incredibly privileged problem to have, but I wanted to share the perspective.)
Image source: ProjectGO
#52
Very dependent on field and location.
I was working R&D in Boston, laid off, hard to find funding. Moved south, found tons of jobs in manufacturing ops.
If you’re flexible and coachable with a good attitude you can find a job. It’s not my dream job but it pays well and I go home at 4:30 every afternoon. Remote work is not a thing in my line- aside from the occasional sick day or bad weather day.
Image source: bondsman333
#53
Accepted a job offer yesterday after a year of looking. 9.5 years in my industry and could barely even get a call back. Took reaching out to the hiring manager directly with my resume and the job posting to get an interview.
Image source: pandablunt
#54
My employer of over three years abruptly went under. That was back in early May.
I have 18 years of experience in the industry across multiple channels and I have numerous certifications.
I’ve had a total of three interviews. And have not yet had a follow up interview. I’ve been passed over for roles that should have been layups.
Four years ago, I had companies asking me to come work for them. I had people offer me more money to work for them.
This job market is insanely hard right now.
Image source: Human_Spatula
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