The job application got faster. The job search got worse.
TL;DR
Job hunting in 2026 can mean chatting with a robot, getting rejected by AI, encountering ghost jobs and competing with a flood of applicants. Why it matters: This isn't just candidates venting on LinkedIn or TikTok. The hiring process is increasingly taking longer and application apathy could be eroding trust in America's job market. What they're saying: "I think burnout is absolutely happening," Gorick Ng, a Harvard career advisor and UC Berkeley faculty member, tells Axios.
Nauti's Take
There is an opportunity for candidates here: a clear position and real work samples stand out in a field flooded with generic AI applications. The problem is structural, because when both sides automate, volume rises while match quality does not.
Companies that put humans back into screening get the better access to talent in the short term.
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