Americans' confidence in finding a new job falls to record low [View all]

Source: CBS News

Updated on: September 8, 2025 / 6:39 PM EDT


Job seekers' confidence in finding new employment has fallen, a new survey reveals. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York's Survey of Consumer Expectations, the average "perceived probability" of finding a new job after losing one fell 5.8% points to 44.9% among heads of households surveyed in August, the lowest measure on record since 2013 when the New York Fed began collecting data.

At the same time, Americans are increasingly worried about losing their current job. Expectations that the U.S. unemployment rate will be higher a year from now crept up 1.7 percentage points to 39.1%, the New York Fed found.

The data comes as Americans adopt a dimmer view of the economy. According to a recent CBS News poll, a majority of respondents continue to say the economy is getting worse.

The labor market has been under a microscope since July employment data showed weaker-than-expected job growth and sharp downward revisions for the months of June and May. August's data, released Friday, pointed to a slump in U.S. hiring, with employers adding only 22,000 jobs. Unemployment also ticked up to 4.3%, the highest rate since October 2022.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/job-seekers-confidence-hits-record-low-as-unemployment-risks-rise/