When Brian Daniel, the founder of a Los Angeles-based staffing agency, recently posted what he describes as a “high-paying remote job,” he saw firsthand just how tough the labor market had become for job seekers.
“We get between 500 and 1,000 applicants for every open position,” he says. But this job—an executive assistant position that pays $150 per hour—seemed particularly appealing. Within a few days, more than 2,000 people had applied. “The ‘low-hire, low-fire’ labor market is nothing to scoff at,” Daniel says.
Daniel is referring to the unusual state of the current labor market described by then-Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell at a press conference in April: “[This] doesn’t feel like a good labor market to some who don’t have jobs because quits are really low, hires are really low,” Powell said. “It’s an unusual and uncomfortable kind of a balance where people who don’t have jobs will have a hard time breaking in.”
In the months since Powell made that assessment, the picture has remained bleak for those looking for work.
U.S.-based employers announced 43,281 job cuts in September, down 18% from August and the lowest monthly total since 2022, according to a report from the executive coaching firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas that was released last week.
But the corresponding uptick in hiring that job seekers are hoping for has not materialized. Employers announced plans to hire 90,787 workers in September, 23% fewer than a year earlier and the lowest September total since 2011.
On October 2, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the unemployment rate had risen to 4.2% in September, and that the number of jobs added was lower than economists had expected.
Faced with hundreds—even thousands—of other applicants competing for the same roles, job seekers might reasonably conclude that their best chance of success is to send out as many applications as possible.
But labor market economists and career experts say that approach might actually be counterproductive. In a market in which employers are inundated with candidates and increasingly using AI to help sift through them, standing out may require job seekers to be more targeted, more creative, and—perhaps obviously—more human.
Not a Numbers Game
Interviews with labor market experts and career coaches reveal a broad consensus: When it comes to applications, more is not necessarily better.
“Spray-and-pray tactics may feel productive, but are more likely to lead to you feeling drained and hopeless,” says Brian Pulliam, a career coach based in the Seattle area.
Pulliam recommends “looking for the side door” through networking and personal referrals, particularly by reaching out to former managers and colleagues who already know your work.
Daniel agrees. “Less is more,” he says. “It’s better to make 20 targeted and customized submissions than 100 generic ones.”
Daniel Zhao, chief economist at Glassdoor, recommends diversifying. An IT professional struggling to find work in tech, for example, might look to industries such as healthcare, where growth has been more consistent.
Give Employers What AI Can’t
This advice is useful in any labor market, but it’s especially true in 2026, when AI continues to change the equation on both sides of the hiring process.
“AI has changed screening more than anything else,” says Curtis Serna, founder of Noticeable Inc., an Edmonton, Alberta-based firm that develops AI tools for job seekers.
An applicant tracking system (ATS) can parse the language used in applications with increasing precision, Serna says, making it important to mirror the terminology used in a job posting. “If the ad says ‘vendor management,’ do not write ‘supplier relationships,’” he advises.
Gaming the ATS has been a tactic job seekers have used for a while now. But today? “Matching matters more than it used to,” Serna says.
And getting through an initial screening is only part of the challenge. With candidates increasingly using AI to polish résumés and cover letters, demonstrating what you can actually do has become more important, too.
“If hundreds of candidates are applying for the same role, another polished CV may not be enough,” says Reese Wong, a London-based strategy consultant at Accenture who focuses on the future of work.
Instead, he recommends offering “proof of work”: a portfolio, piece of writing, or even a short video showing how you would approach the role. “Give the employer something concrete that shows initiative and ability,” he says.
Nicole Bachaud, a labor economist at ZipRecruiter, says candidates should also emphasize the human skills that AI cannot easily replicate.
“Soft, human-centered skills, like critical thinking and leadership, are in demand now more than ever,” she says. Corroborating this, research done by PwC earlier this year found that as AI takes over more routine tasks, employers are placing a growing premium on distinctly human capabilities like creativity, judgment, and innovation.
And human connections still matter immensely. Wong says a recommendation or conversation with someone inside a company can convey information that even a polished application cannot.
Wong also acknowledges that AI can be useful for research and preparation, but he cautions against simply using it to apply for more jobs. “I’d use AI to improve the quality of the search, not just increase the number of applications,” he says.
You might, for example, use AI to research the person who’s interviewing you or potential solutions to a particularly vexing challenge the employer is facing. In other words, Wong says, use it in ways that show you’re able to take the initiative.
Don’t Slow Down
Finally, while hiring tends to slow toward the end of the year, experts say job seekers shouldn’t assume opportunities have dried up or wait until January to restart their search.
“Don’t shut down your search during the holidays. There will be less competition from candidates who do,” says Jan Hunter, a former recruiter and career coach based in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. “Some companies also need to use budgets or risk losing them. Use November and December to build relationships and position yourself for January.”
Laura Browne, a Phoenix-based career coach and coauthor of a book on how to interview successfully for jobs, agrees. “While it’s true that some companies will put hiring on hold, many are still looking to fill positions,” she says. “Don’t assume that all companies will delay hiring until next year.”
Or as Daniel Zhao of Glassdoor puts it: “Time in the market is better than timing the market.” There’s no reliable way to optimize for the ideal time of year to look for work, he notes, “so it’s better not to worry about that. Just focus on what you can control.”
