The go-go hiring days of 2022 and 2023, when there were nearly two job openings for every jobseeker, are in the rearview mirror. But there are plenty of jobs out there in 2025.
New data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics telegraphs guarded optimism for an uptick in hiring in the months ahead. The economy added 256,000 jobs in December, the Labor Department reported on Friday, beating expectations. The unemployment rate edged down to 4.1%.
While it’s early in the new year, confidence from business leaders could translate into a boost in hiring in the months ahead.
I reached out to a handful of experts for their insights on what this all means to job seekers and the best ways to navigate the hiring landscape.
“Landing a job today is likely noticeably more difficult and time-consuming than it was in 2022,” Cory Stahle, a labor economist at Indeed Hiring Lab, told Yahoo Finance. “But we’re going into a job market where there are a lot of opportunities still available.”
Demand is high for healthcare, construction, government, and manufacturing workers, while white-collar positions in finance and tech — such as software development and data science, marketing, and professional services — are a tougher grind to land, Stahle said.
There are also hot jobs debuting that you might not have thought about. Six in 10 of LinkedIn’s “Jobs on the Rise” showcase “the evolving world of work and emerging opportunities that job seekers may not have considered before.” The list tracks the fastest-growing positions.
The positions include artificial intelligence engineer, artificial intelligence consultant, and physical therapist. Workforce development managers, who design and implement training programs to upskill employees, are in demand. Travel advisers are on the rise. Event coordinators, directors of development who run fundraising strategies, and sustainability specialists, who analyze a company’s environmental and social impacts and create strategies for resource efficiency, also made the cut.
Several engineering roles showed up for the first time on the list, including bridge engineer, nuclear engineer, and instrumentation and control engineer
As a self-proclaimed bookworm and research nerd, I was pleased to discover that research librarians are back in vogue.
“Only about 30% of job seekers say they want to switch industries, but more than 50% of recently hired workers got their jobs in a new industry,” Julia Pollak, chief economist at ZipRecruiter, the employment search site, told Yahoo Finance. “That suggests that workers who keep an open mind, expand their search, invest in new skills, and follow opportunity are disproportionately successful.”
Some of the most in-demand skills, according to LinkedIn’s research: Customer service, project management, communication, leadership, teamwork, sales, and strategic planning.
For AI enthusiasts, the tide is moving in your direction.
“We’ve started to see a growing number of employers asking for integrative artificial intelligence skills,” Indeed’s Stahle said. “If you have these AI skills, 2025 could actually be a pretty good year for you to look.”
“Transferable skills can open doors to new roles, too,” Amy Glaser, senior vice president at staffing agency Adecco, told Yahoo Finance. “Part-time roles also offer a valuable way to gain experience, build connections, and transition to full-time opportunities.
“Overall, adaptability and a willingness to learn are critical for workers looking to thrive in today’s multigenerational workforce.”
College degrees are increasingly taking a back seat as a pre-requisite for many hiring decisions. (Getty Creative) ·Image Source via Getty Images
An increasing number of employers are jettisoning educational and even experience requirements from job postings, according to Stahle — “which means that there are roles that you wouldn’t have qualified for in the past and now maybe you can qualify because you have the skills and potentially can step into one of those positions,” he said.
Formal educational requirements have been dropping in nearly every sector and occupational group analyzed by Indeed. The share of job postings requiring at least a bachelor’s degree fell to 17.6% in October 2024, from roughly 20% prior to the pandemic.
“This may seem like a modest decline on the surface, but in reality, it represents tens of thousands more jobs potentially open today compared to a few years ago for the more than 60% of Americans without a college degree,” Stahle said.
Other reports show a similar shift. One in three organizations have removed degree requirements from job descriptions to consider all applicants with the necessary skills and experience, according to Payscale. Before you get too excited, a segment of those employers, 16%, pay more to those who hold a bachelor’s degree.
The trend in experience requirements has also fallen, from 40% in 2022 to 32.6% in 2024, according to Indeed. If the labor market picks up in 2025, the share of job postings requiring a college degree or particular years of experience could fall again as employers compete for workers, Stahle said.
Online job postings continue to draw a glut of applications. To cut through the clutter, this year it will be important for job seekers to “demonstrate personality and personal brand to capture the attention of recruiters and hiring managers,” Hannah Morgan, a job search strategist, told Yahoo Finance.
“Generic, AI-generated resumes, cover letters, and LinkedIn profiles won’t be enough to differentiate job seekers,” she said, adding that “many recruiters and hiring managers are on the lookout for AI-generated materials.”
Deciding how much personality to convey can be a tough line to walk, she said. Start by including any work details that will highlight your achievements, certifications, or awards. “Draw attention to what makes you slightly different and mention why that is valuable to a future employer,” she said.
Have a great example in your back pocket to share with hiring managers of a challenge, your action and the result you navigated. I call this your CAR story. Hiring managers love numbers to back it up.
“Use real, quantifiable data to highlight work achievements,” Morgan said. Replace, for example, “self-motivated top producer who consistently exceeds targets by retaining and growing existing accounts with a consultative approach” with a specific example like “exceeded sales goals by 125%, achieving $800K in quarterly sales through relationship building and analytics-driven decision making,” she said.
Getting hired the old-fashioned way is still in style.
Most full-time positions are either filled internally or through referrals. Referred candidates get hired at a rate of 30%, while job applicants sourced through other methods only get hired at a rate of 7%, according to a survey by Jobvite.
Employers fancy hiring people they know either directly or indirectly because it’s less risky. And the perception by hiring managers that someone will be a good fit ramps up substantially when an insider gives them a nod. And many employers offer a bonus for referring someone who’s hired and performs well.
“Consider reaching out to people you know inside the company and tell them why you are interested in the opening at their company and ask if they could refer you,” Morgan said. “The key is to make a greater effort than just mass applying.”
“Referrals are still the best way to land a job,” Maggie Mistal, a career change coach and author of the book “Are You Ready to Love Your Job,” told Yahoo Finance. (Photo courtesy of Maggie Mistal)
Referrals may come from your existing network, but you don’t want to only reach out when you need something, Maggie Mistal, a career change coach, told Yahoo Finance.
“Make it a point to reach out regularly to your most favorite connections and colleagues. Check in, share an article, recommend an event, or even refer them for a job opportunity, she said. By giving when you don’t need something, it will make it easier to ask when you do need something.”
If it’s a new connection, you’re asking to lend a hand, say, someone who knows someone you know who works for the employer with a job you covet, tread lightly.
“When you’re reaching out to a new connection for a referral, it also helps to compliment them on something you authentically admire about their experience,” Mistal said. “Noticing that they climbed a mountain or speak three languages or grew up in the same area of the country … All these things indicate real connection, and that builds rapport.
“And if you want someone to refer you for a job at some point, you’ll need to start by building rapport.”
Have a question about retirement? Personal finances? Anything career-related? Click here to drop Kerry Hannon a note.
If you’re planning to look for a new job, it’s a good idea to reflect on your past experiences and turn them into stories.
Peter Duris, CEO and co-founder of AI-based career tool Kickresume, said more than half of companies ask candidates to share stories about their previous roles.
It’s not just about the times you hit the jackpot: Nearly a quarter of companies also ask questions about mistakes or moments when candidates felt they failed.
“Demonstrating self-awareness and accountability while highlighting your problem-solving skills can really help you land the job you want,” Duris said.
One more tip for interviewing: Wear your love for the company on your sleeve.
Many companies ask candidates to name their favorite thing about the company, or what interested them in joining the company specifically, or their favorite of its products.
Google asked interviewees, “What is your favorite Google product? Why? How would you improve it?”
Kerry Hannon is a Senior Columnist at Yahoo Finance. She is a career and retirement strategist, and the author of 14 books, including “In Control at 50+: How to Succeed in The New World of Work” and “Never Too Old To Get Rich.” Follow her on Bluesky.
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Patricia Allen is a writer who loves to travel and explore new places. She's also passionate about fashion and style, so she often writes about cars and fashion on her blog.
She earned her degree in English Literature from Stanford University, where she studied under some of the most renowned writers of our time. After graduating, she moved to New York City to pursue her career as a writer. She has since written for several publications on topics ranging from arts to automotive news.
