Sharp Reversal in U.S. Job Market Confidence

Workers’ reluctance to change jobs is closely tied to their perception of the labor market. As our chart, based on Gallup data, shows, confidence in the availability of good jobs has deteriorated sharply over the past two years.

While almost 70 percent of Americans thought it was a good time to find a good job in the U.S. in 2022, that sentiment has since reversed. As of Q4 2025, more than seven in ten respondents said it was a bad time to find a good job. This shift in perception helps explain why workers are staying put, even as the labor market remains solid by many traditional measures.