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One of the few things more stressful than looking for a job in 2026 may be trying to hold onto one, new research suggests.<\/p>\n
After a year of weak growth, the labor market has shown some signs of picking up steam. The Labor Department estimated U.S. employers added 115,000 jobs in April and 185,000 jobs in March. But month after month, hiring remains concentrated in certain sectors like health care and social assistance. Workers outside those industries have clung to their jobs fearing they won\u2019t be able to find another amid growing AI adoption, waves of layoffs, and a general sense of economic uncertainty that may prompt employers to scale back hiring.<\/p>\n
Attempting to secure a job in this environment can feel grueling. A Resume Genius report detailing the results of a survey of 1,000 job seekers conducted by Pollfish found 49% of those looking for work say the search has negatively impacted their mental health.<\/p>\n
But workers staying in roles they don\u2019t enjoy can also come at a cost to their well-being. A Monster report breaking down the findings of a survey of 1,000 employed U.S. workers, also conducted by Pollfish, found 59% say their job negatively affects their mental health at least monthly.<\/p>\n
Some Americans are impacted by both \u2013 afraid of being laid off from a job they dislike and worried about their prospects in today\u2019s job market. Jo-Ann, 55, of Pennsylvania, who wanted her last name withheld over fears it would hurt her ability to land a new job, has been laid off four times over the past three decades and is concerned it could happen again as the company she works for adopts AI tools. She\u2019s heard whispers her department could be dissolved by next year.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been to different states. I\u2019ve used recruiters. I\u2019ve used resume writers. I\u2019ve been to headhunters, more headhunters than I can tell you, and the jobs that they keep sending me that \u2018you qualify for\u2019 are now 14 bucks an hour, if I\u2019m lucky,\u201d she said, adding she\u2019s surprised her experience in IT, tech, insurance and criminal law wouldn\u2019t make her more valuable to an employer. \u201cFourteen bucks an hour is not paying my bills.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Monster survey found 46% of workers reported experiencing burnout. Employees said the factor contributing most to their stress is increased workload or understaffing, followed by poor management, struggles with work-life balance and workplace conflict or drama. About a quarter of respondents said stagnant pay and fear of layoffs also contributed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe expectation is, potentially, while we\u2019re not going to increase headcount, we not only expect you to continue to do your job and do it well, we\u2019re now going to give you 30% more of the workload and at the same rate,\u201d Monster career expert Vicki Salemi said, adding workers are taking on increased responsibility after their co-workers are laid off.<\/p>\n
Although the national quits rate is relatively low \u2013 hovering around 2% \u2013 Salemi said employers shouldn\u2019t see high retention as a sign that their workers are happy. She added the report found 71% of workers admitted to staying in a job they knew was \u201ctoxic.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you have an unhappy workforce, they\u2019re not ultimately going to help your bottom line,\u201d Salemi said, adding that worker burnout can lead to mistakes and a decrease in productivity if companies don\u2019t act.<\/p>\n
The grass isn\u2019t always greener on the other side.<\/p>\n
The Resume Genius report found nearly half of job seekers say the search has negatively impacted their mental health, with 55% frustrated by receiving no response after applying, 44% upset by not hearing back after interviewing and 24% frustrated by automated or AI-generated rejection messages.<\/p>\n
Lisa Countryman-Quiroz, a national workforce expert at JVS, a professional training and coaching nonprofit, said job seekers who have been in the professional world for more than a few years are experiencing a pendulum shift. The period in 2021 and 2022 when workers voluntarily quit their jobs known as \u201cthe great resignation\u201d is over, return-to-office mandates are back and competition isn\u2019t only coming from other workers. A whopping 80% of job seekers surveyed said they were worried AI will replace jobs in their field.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot only do workers not have power, a lot apparent benefits are being rolled back,\u201d Countryman-Quiroz said. \u201cAdditionally, now the promise of what kind of opportunities might be available to you, in sort of a broad sense, is vastly darkened.\u201d<\/p>\n
Salemi said workers experiencing burnout should first seek to understand whether their job is in fact to blame for their deteriorating mental health.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn a Sunday night, do you get that pit in the stomach feeling?\u201d she said, adding workers may ask themselves if they fear being yelled at, their work going unrecognized, their workload being unmanageable for one person, they are underpaid, and worry about the response they would receive if they asked to take a mental health day.<\/p>\n
For those who answer yes to those questions, she advises them to identify the underlying reason. If it\u2019s a problem with their boss, she said workers may attempt to switch departments or roles within their company. If it\u2019s an overall company culture issue, it may be time to update their resume, she said, adding it\u2019s best to have a backup plan or solid savings cushion in place before quitting.<\/p>\n
Career experts recommend job seekers struggling with their search cultivate community, whether that be connecting with people in similar situations or a nonprofit focused on helping people navigate the job market.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are no-cost training programs that you can tap into,\u201d Countryman-Quiroz said. \u201cTap into the resources that are available and tap into social supports to ensure that you maintain the energy and the motivation to move successfully through the process.\u201d<\/p>\n
She and Salemi both recommend seeking out professional counseling if the search is seriously impacting a job seeker\u2019s mental health. Simple things like recognizing their situation is temporary and doing physical movement, including yoga and meditation, can help too, Salemi said.<\/p>\n
Side hustles and seasonal work can provide income streams to help bridge the gap between full-time positions, she added.<\/p>\n
Jo-Ann, who has complex post-traumatic stress disorder, says she would not feel comfortable sharing her diagnosis with her current employer. She asked a former employer for accommodations in the past, and said she was denied because she was seen as \u201ctoo high functioning.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPTSD has a lot of stigma, and I do not fit the profile of someone who has that,\u201d Jo-Ann said, adding many people associate it with combat veterans or mass shooter incidents, although her trauma stems from her childhood. \u201cI don\u2019t want that to affect whether or not they want to keep me.\u201d<\/p>\n
She\u2019s not alone. Of those surveyed by Monster, 37% said they feel they can\u2019t be honest about their mental health at work without facing negative consequences. Salemi suggests workers carefully frame the conversation with their boss.<\/p>\n
She said rather than pointing to burnout, workers should focus on how they\u2019ve mastered their current responsibilities and want to pivot to another role that will offer more learning opportunities.<\/p>\n
\u201cMake it more role-centric and less about, \u2018Oh my gosh. This job is killing me,\u2019 especially for the same employer, and even for a new employer,\u201d Salemi said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHaving a clear picture of your own skills, preferences, and opportunities for growth \u2013 that is a really good grounding to go into any conversation with your manager. \u2026 You can get the outcome without necessarily having the conversation be directly about your mental health.\u201d Countryman-Quiroz said. \u201cOpen the conversation in ways that are clearly a benefit to you, but also a benefit to the company. Then your manager is going to be more open to explorations.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n