What Do Job Seekers Want in 2025?
Job Seeker Survey: Q1 2025
The 2024 labor market demonstrated remarkable resilience despite facing complex market dynamics such as recession fears, geopolitical conflict and natural disasters.
To better understand job seekers' sentiments in this current labor climate, we surveyed over 3,200 recent applicants. The results provided valuable new insights into their preferences, including their ideal job search experiences and motivations.
Job Seekers Are Finding Jobs Faster and With Higher Confidence
In our previous Job Seeker Survey, we highlighted how job seekers in the U.S. were frustrated with the job market and believed their searches were taking longer than expected. Our latest survey shows a considerable change in job seekers' perception. Despite a cooling labor market boasting fewer new jobs, applicants for manufacturing, robotics, automation, facilities maintenance, distribution, logistics and construction jobs express strong optimism about their current job prospects compared to fall of 2024.
Job Security is Rivaling Pay as a Motivator for Job Seekers
The latest survey shows a notable shift in job seekers' priorities. While compensation remains a significant factor, its importance has seen a sharp decline compared to our previous report. This brings us to an intriguing observation — how other motivators such as job security and career advancement are gaining traction among candidates.
Seeking a Second Job Is About More Than the Money
Over 20 percent of job seekers say they are currently looking for a second job. Pay is their leading motivator, but many are also looking for a way to learn new skills or enter a new industry. Offering competitive pay while addressing other motivators can help employers hire the best person for the position.
Personal Interaction Is Key to a Positive Application Experience
Those looking for new work encounter aspects of automated hiring in nearly every job search. We asked recent applicants about the impact of technology, AI and automation on their job search and their experiences during the hiring process. While respondents prefer personal interaction during the hiring process, they show less aversion to certain elements of automated hiring.
About the Research
Aerotek's Job Seeker Survey was conducted as an independent online survey to understand what job seekers want. More than 3,200 job seekers were asked about their career ambitions and employer preferences. Respondents were located in the U.S. and Canada and completed the survey in February 2025. The survey targeted job seekers who have applied for work since January 2025 and were seeking jobs in the sectors Aerotek serves, including manufacturing, robotics and automation, facilities and maintenance, distribution and logistics, construction and other inudstries. When you need help building and managing your workforce, contact us.