44% of Employers Report Unfilled Roles as Hiring Process Takes Longer
The hiring process itself may be getting in the way of filling open jobs, as U.S. companies report more unfilled roles, longer timelines and positions closing without a hire while job seekers say automated systems are making it harder to feel heard, according to a newly released Express Employment Professionals-Harris Poll survey. The disconnect comes as 44% of U.S. hiring managers say their company currently has open positions they cannot fill, significantly increasing from 36% in the fall of 2025 and
54% of Job Seekers Expect a Difficult Search Amid Pay, Competition and Job Worries
Finding a job feels difficult for many Americans actively looking for work, according to a new Express Employment Professionals-Harris Poll survey, especially when the right role must match their qualifications, pay needs and long-term goals. Forty-one percent of U.S. job seekers say they are actively looking for a new job, with 82% focused on full-time positions. Both figures are unchanged from the fall of 2025. Still, more than half of job seekers (54%) say it will be difficult to find a job in the
