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Immigration policy. Economic uncertainty. Unemployment. Tariffs. AI.
All these factors — and others — are shaping the U.S. job market, says Elizabeth Renter, NerdWallet’s senior economist. They’re also making it harder to find a new job.
In March, the economy gained 178,000 jobs, but that doesn’t mean the labor market is back on track, she said. The gains are concentrated in a few industries, not the market overall.
“When there is an overall lack of available jobs, many workers are left feeling trapped in their current roles,” Renter says. This stagnation isn't only bad for job satisfaction, but professional growth and better pay.”
It's rough out there. "Burnout at work," is being searched on Google at an all-time high.
Nerds have interviewed experts and written about tech layoffs, monthly job numbers, AI, career growth and work/life boundaries.
We used those articles to create a quiz with some help from AI. Take it to consider your current relationship with your job. If you're working, are you thriving, or just surviving?
Meet MoneyNerd, your weekly news decoder
So much news. So little time. NerdWallet's new weekly newsletter makes sense of the headlines that affect your wallet.
What’s the verdict?
If your score says you're thriving in your job, share your ways, because a lot of workers are not.
That is, if you're fortunate enough to have a job in the first place.
"For people out of work right now, it feels like they’re being frozen out of the job market," Daniel Zhao, chief economist at Glassdoor, said in an email interview. "New grads, returning workers, the recently laid-off are all finding it difficult to get their foot onto the career ladder at all."
Employee burnout is literally rising as leaders pressure people to get more done with less, he said.
Mentions of "burnout" in Glassdoor reviews rose 32% year over year in 2025. Posters pointed to last-minute requests, high-pressure environments and excessive workloads among the reasons.
Sometimes it’s the actual work that makes people hate their jobs, Doug Sabella, CEO of software company Payroll Integrations, said in an email interview. But more often, it’s about not feeling seen, heard and supported.
That doesn’t mean workers want a Music Dance Experience (shoutout to “Severance”), waffle Wednesdays and free gym memberships. Those are cool and all, but most workers want more than that, he said.
“What matters most is that companies demonstrate a genuine investment in employees’ well-being, with benefits and programs that reflect an understanding of their needs.”
Because you can set all the boundaries you want, look for projects that keep you motivated and communicate openly with your manager.
“But these efforts are only as effective as the space employers create to support them,” he said.
Meet MoneyNerd, your weekly news decoder
So much news. So little time. NerdWallet's new weekly newsletter makes sense of the headlines that affect your wallet.
