Take Five: switching jobs, adding jobs and securing talent

NH Business Review's biweekly snapshot of business and industry statistics

More than 2,000 full-time U.S. workers were recently surveyed by Resume Builder, which found that many workers prefer to stay in their current positions because they fear switching new jobs. About 95% of survey respondents opt to stay in their current role out of concerns about the job market, with half saying they won’t feel comfortable changing jobs for at least a year. Eighty-four percent say they would look for better pay if the market improved.

A recent WalletHub report analyzed unemployment data for each state and found that new unemployment claims increased 3.5% week over week on August 25. Currently, 7.2 million Americans are unemployed. In its ranking of states whose unemployment claims increased the most, New Hampshire came in dead last, with only 36 claims per 100,000 people in the labor force. Connecticut saw the biggest increase in unemployment claims, with 317 claims per 100,000 people.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that U.S. employers expanded by 22,000 jobs last month, but the economy saw 21,000 fewer jobs added than previously reported for June and July combined, according to Robert Half. The health care industry led jobs growth with adding 46,800 jobs last month. Leisure and hospitality added 28,000 jobs; retail added 10,500 jobs, and transportation and warehousing saw 3,600 jobs added.

In a recent Robert Half survey, 92% of hiring managers said it’s difficult to secure skilled talent, and 93% of employers are seeing the hiring process take longer than it did just two years ago. Managers’ hiring challenges stem on fewer professionals being active in the job market — only 27% of U.S. workers plan to look for a new job in the second half of 2025.

A median of 28% of adults across 24 countries say they are online almost constantly, according to a Pew Research Center survey from this spring. In the U.S., 43% indicated they use the internet several times a day, with 41% saying they are constantly online. Of those who are almost constantly online, 64% are between the ages of 18 and 24, 43% between 35 and 49, and 12% over 50 years old.