U.S. Job Seekers Decry Broken Hiring as 291 Applications Chase Each Hire

2 articles · Updated · USA TODAY · Aug 21

291 applications now get processed per hire, up from about 100 in early 2021, as job seekers describe a hiring system marked by ghosting, automated rejections and interviews that never happen.
Competition has intensified because remote work widened applicant pools and U.S. applicants per open role have doubled since spring 2022; 65% of people say job hunting has become harder.
AI is deepening frustration on both sides: only 10% of job seekers think most applications are reviewed by a human, while 93% of recruiters planned to increase AI use in 2026.
Trust has also eroded around job listings, with St. Louis Fed research warning openings can overstate labor-market tightness and Ashby finding 82% of 2024 postings led to a real hire.
4.1% unemployment in July masked a tougher search for many workers, especially in tech, which accounted for 31% of announced job cuts this year, while employers shed 23,000 roles in July.