Latest Release: 2025 Q4The ZipRecruiter Survey of New Hires
The ZipRecruiter Survey of New Hires is a quarterly survey of U.S. residents who started their current jobs within the past six months. New hires are the leading edge of the labor market—the first to experience changes in the urgency and intensity with which employers are recruiting workers, and the terms of employment on offer. Indicators tracked in this survey—such as how long it took workers to find their jobs, and what share received signing bonuses or healthcare benefits upon hire—can help gauge the quantity and quality of jobs available in the U.S. economy.
“Today’s new hires are navigating a slower market with intention. By making calculated decisions and weighing long-term options, new hires are happy with where they landed, and are preparing for their next steps.”
Data Spotlight
As 2025 ends, ZipRecruiter’s Q4 New Hire Survey shows job seekers are accepting a new job faster, even when it isn't their dream job, and in this slow hire environment they aren't regretting their speedy decision after the fact. Fast-paced job-hopping has been replaced by the cautious decision-making of job-hugging as stability beats rapid advancement. Though wage pressures have mounted and "dream jobs" are harder to come by, most new hires report satisfaction with their choices and are settling into roles with clear eyes and longer-term commitments.
25%
Found their job within a month
New hires are making making quick work of their job searches, landing something faster than last quarter. Up from 47% in Q3.
53%
Landed their dream job
Fewer new hires landed their dream job than the rest of the year. Down from 36% in Q3.
Are glad they took their current job
Satisfaction is high, even as fewer land in “dream” role. Flat from 92% in Q3.
92%
Received a response from an employer within 3 days
New hires weren’t the only ones acting quickly, response times improved. Up from 51% in Q3.
57%
Median number of applications submitted
New hires are submitting fewer applications before securing their role, likely as many are taking the first offer to prioritize moving quickly. Down from 24 in Q3.
19
Slow and stable wins the race
Job stability has become the defining feature of today's workforce, as tariffs, interest rates, and inflation continue to rock business decision making, and new hires are leaning into stability deliberately. More than two-thirds of new hires (67.7%) now feel secure in their positions, up from 63.7% in Q3. As unemployment continues to rise and hires remain subdued, new hires are making plans to stay put, at least for now. The majority (56.5%) stopped actively job searching after landing their current role, the highest value this year, as casual searches drop amid a challenging market. New hires are also committing to longer tenures: over a third plan to stay 1-2 years (36.8%, up from 35.2%), while more than a quarter (26.4%) intend to remain with their employer for five years or more, up from 25.1% in Q3.
And fewer new hires have moved around before landing their current role, signaling the end of the job-hopping era that defined the post-pandemic job market. Over half (54.9%) of new hires reported only one job change in the past two years, compared to 53.5% in Q3 and 52.3% two quarters ago. These figures align with the quits rate hovering near historic lows in recent months. Rather than feeling trapped, workers appear to be making strategic choices to hunker down and invest in their current roles during a period of economic uncertainty.
Wage pressures mount
Compensation dynamics have shifted noticeably in Q4, with just over half of new hires (56.4%) securing higher pay than their previous role, down from 60.8% in Q3. More workers are accepting lateral moves (16.3%, up from 14.7%) or even pay cuts (27.3%, up from 24.5%) to land their next position. This comes as wage growth slows across 2025. Although wage growth overall is still above inflation, the two series are converging, meaning soon, workers will feel the squeeze with less money leftover at the end of the month.
For many who accepted lower pay, unemployment drove the decision. Nearly two-thirds (64.5%) who took pay cuts did so because they were unemployed and needed a job, up from 53.5% in Q3. This reflects the reality of a slower labor market where unemployment has risen and job openings remain limited. The long term unemployment level is up over 15% from a year ago in November, signaling how difficult it is for workers to reenter the workforce in a slow macro environment. When facing extended unemployment, restarting income and benefits often takes priority over holding out for a higher salary.
However, it's worth noting that this wage dynamic exists alongside rising confidence among active job seekers. According to ZipRecruiter's Q4 Job Seeker Confidence Survey, nearly half of job seekers (48.6%) received an offer within the last month, the highest rate since the survey began in 2022. More than half (52.1%) of those receiving offers rejected them, showing that workers with options are exercising selectivity. The new hires accepting lower pay or lateral moves are those who exhausted their runway, not those with multiple offers on the table.
In Q4, new hires who took a lateral pay step went from receiving two offers to just one, compared to every other quarter of 2025. New hires who accepted less pay also had a median of one offer, in line with the rest of the year. This suggests that in Q4, more new hires are prioritizing the certainty of securing a position over waiting for multiple offers to compare, a practical response to a market where timing and job security have become increasingly valuable. However, those who do wait can often benefit, as new hires who accepted higher pay still had a median of two offers in Q4.
Signing bonuses have also become less common, with only 15.4% of new hires receiving one in Q4, down from 21.7% in Q3, hitting a low for 2025, another indicator that employers are pulling back on aggressive incentives as labor market dynamics have cooled.
The power dynamic is further evident in negotiation rates: only 30.4% of new hires negotiated their offer in Q4, down from 36.3% last quarter. This decline could reflect both reduced leverage in a slower market and a strategic calculation by workers who fear that pushing too hard might cost them an opportunity. With fewer offers on the table and employers holding more of the cards, many new hires appear to be accepting initial offers rather than risking negotiations that could sour the deal. However, for new hires who did negotiate, nine in ten (90.2%) received some additional benefit out of the negotiation, with nearly seven in ten (69%) receiving better base pay.
“90% of new hires who negotiated their offer got a better deal. Even in a tough job market, it’s always worth negotiating the initial offer.”
Settling in, not settling for:
New hires find satisfaction without the dream job
Despite wage pressures, most new hires are satisfied with their new roles. An overwhelming 92% report being happy they took their current job, essentially unchanged from 91.5% in Q3. And 69.2% say they have not experienced “new job regret”. But far fewer new hires claim to have landed their dream job in Q4 at only 25.2%, down from 36.2% in Q3. This gap highlights a shift in worker psychology: candidates are finding satisfaction in stability, culture, and immediate needs rather than holding out for a perception of perfection.
When regret does occur, it stems from predictable pain points. Excessive workload (11.7%) and difficult managers (10.1%) top the list of reasons new hires regret taking their current position. Notably, these same issues—stress from workload (19.9%) and poor management (23.2%)—were among the leading reasons new hires left their previous jobs (alongside wanting higher pay at 32.4%). And they remain the top two most common reasons new hires say they would leave their current role: poor work-life balance (36.3%) and a bad relationship with their manager (32.8%). In a market where stability is paramount, having a manageable workload and strong workplace relationships aren't just nice-to-haves, they're essential retention factors, especially as new hires commit to staying for the long haul.
The main reason new hires would jump ship and accept another offer is higher compensation, with 60% saying they would leave for an offer with higher pay or better benefits. These findings suggest that current stability reflects both deliberate choices and limited alternatives. Workers are making the best of their situations, but many would reconsider if better opportunities emerged, especially if those opportunities paid well.
AI remains largely peripheral, for now
Q4 data reveals that AI adoption remains limited among most new hires in their day-to-day work. Three-quarters (74.2%) use AI rarely or not at all in their current roles, with 55.2% reporting no use whatsoever. This is down from Q3, when we asked this question for the first time, and only 58.3% reported rare or no AI use in their roles. Perhaps there is less appetite for AI adoption among new hires than previously thought. Additionally, 42.5% didn't use AI in any capacity during their job search.
That said, AI is making selective inroads. Nearly a fourth of new hires (22.1%) experienced some form of AI assistance during their interview process, including 8.2% who reported interviews conducted entirely by AI agents. However, only about a fifth (20.8%) were asked or encouraged to use AI during interviews, while the vast majority (79.2%) received no such prompt.
Interestingly, while most workers report minimal direct AI use, 28.8% acknowledge that AI and automation have helped them work faster or more efficiently, suggesting its influence may be more embedded in tools and processes than workers realize. As is common with rapidly evolving tech innovations, working conditions are often reshaped. 11.7% of new hires report that AI has already begun replacing parts of their work since they started their role.
Skills take center stage
New hires overwhelmingly report that employers prioritize practical abilities over formal education. More than half (51.5%) say their employer valued skills and experience most highly, while only 6.2% felt education was the top consideration, continuing the skills-first hiring trend that has defined 2025.
This approach is increasingly backed by formal evaluation, with nearly a quarter of new hires (24.9%) completing a skills assessment during their hiring process. The most common assessments focused on writing and communication (41.4%), cognitive abilities (34.3%), and technical or coding skills (31.7%). Notably, those who underwent skills assessments reported higher job satisfaction than those who didn't, suggesting these tools lead to better matches between candidates and roles and help set realistic expectations from the start.
However, a gender divide persists in how assessments are used: men are more likely to be evaluated on cognitive and technical skills, while women are more frequently tested on personality traits and culture fit. This is likely due to the types of jobs that women and men are interviewing for, as women only make up 35% of the US STEM workforce, and are therefore less likely to come across technical assessments. On the other hand, personality tests could be a key differentiator in reducing gender-based bias in the hiring process, but only if they are applied evenly across candidates, regardless of gender.
On a positive note, most new hires continue to report robust access to professional development. More than four in five (82.8%) have some form of upskilling opportunity in their new role, whether through formal training programs, funding for external courses, or support for self-directed learning. Nearly a quarter (24.3%) benefit from structured, formal training provided directly by their employer, indicating that even as some compensation elements have cooled, many organizations are still investing in employee development.
Upskilling opportunities remain strong
The bottom line: Adaptation in a cooling market
This report reveals a workforce in a state of pragmatic adaptation. The trends identified in Q3—caution, stability-seeking, and strategic career planning—have continued and intensified, but the story is more nuanced than simple pessimism.
Yes, wages have come under pressure and dream jobs are harder to secure. Yes, more workers are accepting lower pay, often out of necessity after extended job searches. But the data also shows workers landing in roles they're largely satisfied with, committing to longer tenures, and benefiting from skills-based hiring practices that appear to be improving job-candidate matches.
The labor market has undeniably cooled from its post-pandemic peak, but it's stabilizing rather than collapsing. Meanwhile, active job seekers are reporting record-high offer volumes and increased selectivity, suggesting that while some workers face constrained options, others are exercising real choice. The difference often comes down to employment status: those searching while unemployed face steeper challenges, while those searching while employed can afford to be selective.
For employers, this environment requires a balanced approach. Reduced turnover and workers' willingness to stay put ease immediate retention pressures, but this stability shouldn't breed complacency. The 60% of new hires who would leave for better pay represent a real retention risk if labor market conditions tighten. Workers haven't forgotten their worth, many are simply being strategic about when to make their next move.
The persistent pain points of excessive workload and poor management remain pressing. As workers settle into roles with recalibrated expectations, maintaining engagement will require attention to job quality, not just job security. Employers who invest now in manager development, work-life balance, competitive compensation, and meaningful upskilling opportunities will build the loyalty that makes the difference when the market inevitably shifts.
The new hires of Q4 2025 aren't defeated, they're deliberate. They're making informed trade-offs, seeking stability in uncertain times, and largely finding satisfaction in their choices even when those choices involve compromise. How employers respond to this pragmatic workforce, whether they view stability as an opportunity to coast or to invest, will likely shape their competitive position when conditions improve and workers once again have more room to choose.
Methodology
The ZipRecruiter Survey of New Hires is a survey fielded to a nationally representative online panel administered by PureSpectrum during the second month of every quarter. The sample consists of more than 1,500 adults who reside in the U.S., who are currently employed, and who began their current jobs within the past six months. It excludes self-employed workers.
The survey asks these recently hired workers detailed questions about the circumstances leading up to their employment, the hiring process, the job offer, and the working conditions in their new roles. Additional findings regarding the prevalence and distribution of particular job search experiences and working conditions across the cohort of recent hires, by age, gender, education, and industry, are available upon request. Email press@ziprecruiter.com for more survey data or to schedule an interview with the authors of this study.