Job seekers are reportedly now paying recruiters to secure jobs, in a new trend reflecting the mounting challenges faced by job seekers in the current market.
Reverse Recruiting Gains Traction, Skepticism
The job market for white-collar positions has become so competitive that job seekers are now hiring "reverse recruiters" to help them land jobs. This marks a significant shift from the traditional model where companies pay recruiters to find suitable candidates, reported The Wall Street Journal on Sunday.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were more unemployed individuals than open roles in 2025. The average job search duration also increased to around six months.
Reverse-recruiter models vary: some take a percentage of a candidate's salary after placement, while others charge a flat fee to handle job applications. Many of these services go beyond traditional career coaching or resume reviews.
Despite their rising popularity, reverse recruiters face skepticism from traditional recruiters, who raise concerns about the ethics of charging job seekers and the effectiveness of submitting applications at scale.
Layoffs Rise As Job Market Softens
The job market has been showing signs of strain for a while now. The ADP National Employment Report for January revealed weaker-than-expected private employment, sparking concerns about the state of the labor market.
This was followed by a report by Challenger, Gray & Christmas that U.S. employers slashed over 100,000 jobs in January 2026, the worst start to a year since 2009.
AI accounted for 7,624 job cuts in January, or 7% of all layoffs, and has been linked to nearly 80,000 cuts since tracking began in 2023, though Challenger noted its true impact is hard to gauge.
This trend was also emphasized by a Consumer Confidence Survey by The Conference Board in September, which found that 20% of respondents said jobs were "hard to get," the highest figure since early 2021, which was the pandemic-era.
Nonetheless, according to Peter Williams of 22V Research, tariff uncertainty and slowing labor supply drove the spring 2025 slowdown, though conditions have since modestly improved. Hiring remains concentrated in healthcare and leisure, while low churn, limited firings, and steady wages suggest an economy that is stable but not overheating.