How New Hire Bargaining Power Swung From 2024 to 2025

The data

ZipRecruiter surveys U.S. residents who started their current job within the past six months, every quarter. We compiled the published results for negotiation and signing bonuses across five quarters.

Sources: ZipRecruiter Survey of New Hires, quarterly releases. ZipRecruiter is a hiring platform; these are survey results, not official statistics.

What changed

• A late 2024 peak. In Q4 2024, nearly half of new hires negotiated and 43% received a signing bonus. ZipRecruiter later described this as possibly a temporary holiday season anomaly.
• A sharp drop in early 2025. In Q1 2025 negotiation fell to 31% and signing bonuses to 20%.
• A partial rebound, then a slide. Negotiation recovered to 42% in Q2 2025, then fell to 30.4% by Q4 2025, when signing bonuses hit their 2025 low of 15.4%.
• Faster, more cautious decisions. In Q4 2025, ZipRecruiter reported more new hires accepting the first offer they received to secure a role quickly.

What still worked

Even at the low point, negotiating paid off for most people who tried. About 90% of new hires who negotiated in Q4 2025 got a better deal. When base pay was harder to move, in Q2 2025 for example, more negotiators gained through benefits or signing bonuses instead.

Lessons for job seekers

1. Leverage is cyclical. Check current conditions before deciding how hard to push.
2. Asking is still worth it. Even in a weak quarter, most negotiators improved their offer.
3. Negotiate the package. When salary is tight, bonuses, benefits, start dates and flexibility may move.

Read the full method in our guide on how to negotiate a job offer.

Sources

1. The ZipRecruiter Survey of New Hires, Q4 2024, ZipRecruiter
2. The ZipRecruiter Survey of New Hires, Q1 2025, ZipRecruiter
3. The ZipRecruiter Survey of New Hires, Q2 2025, ZipRecruiter
4. The ZipRecruiter Survey of New Hires, Q4 2025, ZipRecruiter