Methodology

We collect each figure from the publisher's own release or report, record the reference period exactly as published, and recheck figures when a new release appears. Government statistics are U.S. figures unless stated. Industry surveys are labeled with their publisher because they are not independent statistical agencies.

Job search

Statistic	Value	Period	Source
Median duration of unemployment, United States Half of unemployed people had been looking for longer than 11.9 weeks, up from 11.5 weeks in September 2026. Seasonally adjusted.	11.9 weeks	October 2026	U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Situation, Table A-12
Average (mean) duration of unemployment The mean is pulled up by long searches, which is why the median is the better guide to a typical search.	27.1 weeks	October 2026	U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Situation, Table A-12
People unemployed 27 weeks or longer Long term unemployment as defined by BLS. Seasonally adjusted.	1.96 million	October 2026	U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Situation, Table A-12

Tenure and job changes

Statistic	Value	Period	Source
Median employee tenure, all wage and salary workers Up from 3.9 years in January 2024.	4.1 years	January 2026	U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employee Tenure in 2026 (released September 24, 2026)
Median tenure, workers aged 25 to 34 Compared with 9.6 years for workers aged 55 to 64.	3.0 years	January 2026	U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employee Tenure in 2026
Median tenure, private sector vs public sector Public sector workers are older on average, which is one reason their tenure is longer.	3.9 vs 5.6 years	January 2026	U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employee Tenure in 2026
Jobs held from age 18 to 58, people born 1957 to 1964 Nearly half of these jobs were held from ages 18 to 24. Longitudinal survey (NLSY79).	12.9 jobs	Released August 26, 2025	U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Longitudinal Surveys
Jobs held from age 18 through 36, people born 1980 to 1984 Over half of these jobs were held between ages 18 and 23. Longitudinal survey (NLSY97).	9.0 jobs	Released April 2, 2024	U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Longitudinal Surveys

Salary and offers

Statistic	Value	Period	Source
New hires who negotiated their offer Down from 36.3% in Q3 2025. About 90% of those who negotiated got a better deal.	30.4%	Q4 2025	ZipRecruiter Survey of New Hires, Q4 2025
New hires who received a signing bonus Down from 21.7% in Q3 2025, the low for 2025.	15.4%	Q4 2025	ZipRecruiter Survey of New Hires, Q4 2025
Tech job seekers who countered an offer after encouragement vs control Field experiment with U.S. tech job seekers by researchers from Harvard, Brown and UCLA (NBER working paper).	61% vs 54%	Study period May 2023 to February 2025	Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School summary of Cullen, Pakzad-Hurson and Perez-Truglia

Resumes and hiring technology

Statistic	Value	Period	Source
Fortune 500 companies with a detectable applicant tracking system 487 of 500 companies. The share has stayed between about 97% and 99% since 2018.	97.4%	2026	Jobscan ATS usage report
Recruiters who search and rank candidates by skills from the job description Reported in Jobscan's ATS usage research.	76.4%	Jobscan recruiter survey	Jobscan ATS usage report

Future of work

Statistic	Value	Period	Source
Share of workers' core skills expected to change by 2030 Down from 44% in the 2023 edition. Based on a survey of over 1,000 employers representing more than 14 million workers in 55 economies.	39%	Report published January 7, 2025	World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs Report 2025
Jobs expected to be created vs displaced, 2025 to 2030 A net increase of 78 million jobs, or 7% of current total employment.	170M vs 92M	Report published January 7, 2025	World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs Report 2025

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Career statistics