It's a tough time to be an American right now. Beyond y'know, everything (gestures vaguely), the job market is particularly bad. While unemployment is fairly low and stable at 4.3%, high-profile layoffs have affected thousands of tech workers, and people overall are reporting that it's taking them longer to find a job after being laid off. It's also worth noting that unemployment numbers don't include those who have been laid off and turned to freelance, gig work, or part-time work to make ends meet – often making only 50-65% of what they were before, and often without benefits.
As entry-level positions disappear, it's increasingly difficult to find a job as a new graduate or younger worker. And with low hiring rates, it's also much more difficult to job hop or find a better job — people are instead stuck with stagnating wages, unwilling to leave stable jobs even if they have a low salary, poor benefits, or other bad attributes. Especially as the cost of living continues to rise.
All in all...it's a scary time! If all this still doesn't convince you, the following images *might* help demonstrate the bleak state of the American job market.
1. This attitude from employers is always so weird to me. Of course people applying for a job are looking for a job? Why must people go through the humiliation ritual of pretending their life's passion is creating PowerPoint presentations just to get employed?
2. Something. Does not. Add up!!!!
3. Checks out for today's job market.
4. Do you expect them not to care about the ONLY REASON THEY ARE SEEKING EMPLOYMENT?
5. The entitlement towards an employee's time is WILD.
6. Hours are 8:45 a.m. to 9 p.m., but don't worry, you can take time off in December.
7. Thanks, I hate this attitude!
8. Can we not outsource everything to AI? Please and thank you.
9. Consider limiting your time off when your dad just died? Yeah, companies don't care about you.
10. Employers seem to be looking for people who don't exist.
11. Why are we playing games here????
12. They might as well have said, "Come perform to our CEO at a rich people's party like a court jester, you ingrates!"
13. Seriously. We're all just court jesters.
14. Are workers just not expected to have lives at all?
15. Never mind. I shouldn't have asked. The answer is "no."
16. You have to jump through so many hoops just to get hired for low-wage jobs. Like these weird AI personality assessments that have popped up everywhere.
17. Asking 172 questions is completely unnecessary.
18. WTF? Is this a psych intake form, or a job application? This also feels like a super problematic way to filter out anyone with depression (also, who the heck never feels sad???).
19. MAKE IT MAKE SENSE.
20. It regularly takes people far longer than this to get a job through no fault of their own. How is anyone supposed to get a job if not having a job stops them from getting a job? It just perpetuates itself in a cruel cycle.
21. You have to be wildly professional as an applicant to even be considered, but the company you're interviewing for will just ghost you, get your name wrong, or send a template rejection after five rounds of interviews.
22. Remember when we worked from home for years with no issue? Now they want you in four or five days a week, and apparently even pretend otherwise.
23. Breaks? Who needs 'em?
24. Are recruiters even reading applications anymore? I guess they're just using AI to auto-reject.
25. People are applying to hundreds or even thousands of jobs without even getting a reply, and now there's a limit on how many jobs you can apply to on platforms? Great.
26. I'm not kidding about the "thousands" thing.
27. Having to post a viral TikTok on your personal account, giving them free advertising content, just to get a first interview...we are in hell.
28. Excuse me, WHAT?
29. Ten years??? Do they want to interview everyone you've ever known, too? I also think asking for phone numbers is hilarious because the only times I've ever known my boss's phone number were in the service/retail industry. How would one even find contact info for a boss from a decade ago who is no longer in the same role?
30. God forbid you want to speak to an actual person while job searching.
31. Golly! A whole 15 minutes for working seven years! How generous!
32. This is a break room? JFC, this is bleak.
33. Do we live in a police state, or...?
34. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: discouraging joining unions should be illegal. The one reason workers have any rights is because we fought for them in the 1900s.
35. Your workplace won't reduce the amount of stress they give you, but they will give you soup to help you be more aware of it!
36. Definitely don't quit your other job in case *this* happens.
37. Even after signing the contract, you're at risk!
38. Just because a job reaches out to YOU doesn't mean it's actually available, apparently.
39. So...seven interviews? I see they also used AI to write this.
40. As someone who used to work in the service industry, this doesn't surprise me...but I'm sorry it's gotten even worse since I left.
41. Are you not allowed to ever travel if you are searching for a job?
42. What a great sign that this will be a wonderful company to work for!
43. These may be the worst job requirements I've ever seen.
44. No, and it shouldn't work for anyone! Let's not make this the norm, please!
45. Oh, look, it's thinly veiled hiring discrimination!
46. "When I was your age, I worked my way up from washing dishes and busing tables!" Dishwasher jobs today:
47. I don't get how AI can evaluate employees when it's this easily overriden.
48. If the recruiter can't even write the description themselves, how do they expect to be able to answer questions about the role?
49. Ew. I hope they got no applications.
50. One minute ago, and 27 people have already applied??? Why is getting a job like winning the lottery?
51. Who wouldn't want work-life balance??? Also, the lower end of this job pays $65k. That's not going to be enough in many cities, especially if you're helping support a family. But you're not allowed to work a second job?
52. Expecting people to do unpaid work is not okay.
53. And finally...Why do employers need this? Can't we Snapchat in peace?
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