How Long Will It Take to Find a Job in 2022? (2023)

FAQs

How long does it take to find a new job in 2022? ›

As America continues to work its way out of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is likely that 2022 will feature a return to more normal job seeking patterns. As it does, you can probably expect to see your job search take an average of about five to six months, depending on the industry and job type.

Twenty-six percent of job-seekers say finding a job is easier in 2022 than it was before the pandemic, while 23% of employers say hiring new employees is easier now. Twenty-one percent of both workers and employers don't see any changes in the degree of difficulty of finding a job or hiring employees.

The No. 1 reason businesses struggle to fill open jobs is that wages are too low, according to a survey of more than 3,000 hourly workers conducted by employer payment platform Branch. Fear of exposure to Covid-19 at work came in second with 46% of the vote.

“On average, it takes about 3-6 months from start to finish to get a job, and you have an 8.3% probability of getting a job interview from one job application,” explains FlexJobs Career Coach, Cidnye Work. “That means it could take as many as 10-20 applications to get one interview.

The average length of the hiring process is 36 days. 65% of companies communicate the importance of a mobile assignment to an employee's career. On average, 55% of the candidates believe it should take less than two weeks from the first interview to a job offer.

Hiring managers are three times as likely to rate job applicants age 35-44 as “application ready,” more “experienced” and a better “fit” than those over 45. They rate the over 45 job seekers lower on average on all three measures—even experience — than those ages 18 to 34.

However, January and February are the most popular hiring months. Avoid the summer and holiday season when looking for a new job, since most companies slow down during these periods. The best time to look for a job is toward the beginning of the workweek and late mornings. This is when most companies update job boards.

For some of the jobs available, people don't have the right skills, or at least the skills employers say they're looking for. Other jobs are undesirable — they offer bad pay or an unpredictable schedule, or just don't feel worth it to unemployed workers, many of whom are rethinking their priorities.

Why do most new hires fail? ›

Because new hires, even if they are experienced professionals, are unfamiliar with the business, don't understand how things really work, lack established relationships, and have to adapt to a new culture. Research has shown that challenges in the latter two categories are the biggest reasons for quick turnover.”

Two months is realistic enough, so jump right in and stick to it. Below we've set out a few weekly guidelines to help you get on track. As a starting point, you should make sure your resume is up to scratch. Everything should be updated and truthful.

Your search will probably take longer than you think

How long your search will take is highly individual and depends on many factors including how much time you devote to it, how big a shift you are trying to make, the market you're in and the skills you have, and the strategy and approach you use.

Additional screenings might be holding up the process.

Hiring timelines are getting longer, in part because companies have more tools for ensuring candidates are good fits for the position. Being more careful about hiring the first time around makes sure new hires won't quit, and companies will have to start all over.

There is no hard and fast rule about how long employers will take to get back to you with a job offer (or a job rejection). The hiring process can vary from employer to employer, the type of job you are applying for, and the industry in which you work. You could get an offer in a day or two, or it could take weeks.

Hiring has slowed since the first half of last year, when employers were adding more than 400,000 jobs a month, on average. And a further slowdown is expected, as businesses brace for a possible recession. "They're kind of pumping the brakes a little bit on hiring," Gilbertson says.

…and 22 other roles in demand for 2022

Warehouse worker (353.59% increase) Security guard (324.62% increase) Finance clerk (288.07% increase) Forklift operator (254.14% increase)

Why do I keep getting rejected by jobs? ›

If you're overqualified for a position, recruiters may turn you down. Overqualified people tend to have high salary expectations and are quick to change jobs. You should make sure that the duties in the role are varied and at least as demanding as the ones in your last job.

Many companies don't offer the flexibility that many older workers want later in life. Age discrimination is another factor, with 78% of older workers claiming to have seen or experienced workplace age discrimination, according to 2021 data from AARP.

As a general rule, the FLSA sets 14 years old as the minimum age for employment, and limits the number of hours worked by minors under the age of 16.

New data suggests finding your next job may be tougher than it was even a few months ago. But you can persevere and find your best fit role—if you understand how to shore up your strategies to get through. News of layoff and the slowing of the economy are hard to miss, but there are still reasons for hope.

A few years ago, an analysis of more than 4,000 applications by TalentWorks found that submitting a résumé and job application on a Monday (or very late on Sunday night, so it ends up at the top of recruiters' inboxes come Monday morning) boosted your chances of being hired by 46 percent.

What days of the week do employers make job offer calls? While employers can call with a job offer any day of the week, Tuesday is statistically the most popular day to send out offers, closely followed by Thursday.

Job openings are slowing compared with peak

After the job openings rate peaked in March 2022, there's been a steady decline, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' October Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary, or JOLTS. But the job openings rate now is still significantly higher than before the pandemic.

Is 6 months too soon to look for a new job? ›

The straightforward answer

As such, a good rule of thumb is to stay at your job for a year or two. During that time, you've likely completed any probationary period and reached full productivity. This shows hiring managers that you can onboarded essential skills and performed the job with reasonable success.

However, January and February are the most popular hiring months. Avoid the summer and holiday season when looking for a new job, since most companies slow down during these periods. The best time to look for a job is toward the beginning of the workweek and late mornings.

Even with an increased risk of an impending recession, one top executive says that the labor market will stay hot. "Generally speaking, the really hot labor market is something that is going to persist for 3-5 years at least," Paul Knopp, CEO of KPMG's US operations, told Insider on Monday.

Most employees move from job to job throughout their careers. Companies are no longer as loyal to their employees as they once were. Because of that changed relationship, employers need to get an immediate return from their hiring investment. That's led them to become ever more selective about who they hire.

Industry experts acknowledge the possible upside of job-hopping every two years or so, such as agility and adapting to new environments quickly. However, they also stress the importance of “depth of thinking,” which comes with a longer tenure.

How long might new job anxiety last? For most people, it's likely 1-2 days or the first week of work. It varies completely by the individual, though. Because imposter syndrome is very real, and especially real in the context of work, some people are in jobs for months and still feel a version of new job anxiety.

In an ideal world, you should try to stay at each job for a minimum of two years. It takes employers time and money to find the right candidate, especially when you factor in the investment they make in training and onboarding you.

Is it really harder getting hired today than it was 20 years ago? Well, in short: yes. Over the last generation, many factors have made it harder for students and recent grads to find a job. So don't worry—if you're struggling to get hired in today's market, you're not alone.

It's not terrible form to leave one job after a few months; just don't make such short stints a habit—red flags arise if this behavior seems to be chronic. Repeated job-hopping can convey an inability to assess a company or role, demonstrate a lack of focus, or raise concern around what led to your departures.

Late November through December are typically the worst times of the year to find a job due to many hiring managers and employees being absent with seasonal holiday vacations. More so, many companies are at the end of their fiscal year and hiring budgets could be scarce.

What day are you most likely to get a job offer? ›

All questions and concerns can be ironed out during the remainder of the week, and the candidate can sign their offer letter by Friday, if not sooner. The truth is job offers are made every day of the week. However, Tuesday is the most popular.