Inside the Crumbling US Job Market: 18M Social Media Mentions on Work, Pay, and Layoffs

Summary

Conversations surrounding the US job market have surged, with 18 million social media mentions revealing widespread anxiety about work, pay, and job security. Layoff announcements are at a 22-year high, mirroring levels not seen since the Great Recession, while continuing unemployment claims are nearing four-year peaks. This sentiment is amplified by the emotional texture of online discussions, where people express struggles to afford bills, the necessity of second jobs, and burnout. Concerns about AI's potential to eliminate white-collar roles, coupled with frustrations over applicant tracking systems and 'ghost jobs,' further contribute to a deeply negative outlook, overshadowing positive stories of job acquisition and meaningful work.

Inside the Crumbling US Job Market: 18M Social Media Mentions on Work, Pay, and Layoffs

In the past 30 days, conversations about jobs and employment have exploded—18 million mentions across platforms.

Key social signals:

• Layoff announcements appeared in 9% of the corpus, with some users noting that 2025 job cuts are now comparable to Great Recession levels. External data backs this up: U.S. employers have announced about 1.1 million layoffs through October 2025, the highest level since the pandemic era and on par with 2008–2009. Fox Business+2Kelley Drye & Warren LLP+2

• Between mid-September and mid-October, U.S. unemployment rolls swelled, with continuing claims climbing toward four-year highs—confirming what people are feeling: it’s getting harder to keep or replace a job. Reuters+2Advisor Perspectives+2

• Executives and AI leaders are openly warning about white-collar disruption, including the possibility that AI could eliminate up to half of entry-level white-collar roles within five years. Axios+2Marketing AI Institute+2

Social listening doesn’t just echo official labor data—it adds emotional texture. People aren’t just saying “the market is soft.” They’re saying: “My job doesn’t cover my bills anymore,” or “I had to pick up a second job, my back and feet hurt, but I can’t afford to quit.”

Layoffs and a “crumbling” labor market

The most salient narrative is simple: job security feels like an illusion.

• Layoff-related conversations made up 9% of the dataset, with users repeatedly citing mass cuts at major brands like Amazon, Target, Verizon, and T-Mobile.

• Macro data supports this fear. October 2025 layoffs hit a 22-year high, with more than 153,000 cuts announced in a single month and over 1.09 million job cuts year-to-date—a 65% increase versus last year. Fox Business+2The Economic Times+2

For many consumers, that looks and feels like recession territory, regardless of what the official GDP line says. Posts described the labor market as:

• “Crumbling”

• “A house of cards”

• “A game where regular people always lose”

This emotional framing matters. When people think anyone could be laid off next, they delay big purchases, hoard cash where they can, and scrutinize every subscription, talent platform, and brand relationship.

When one job isn’t enough: The rise of side hustles and second jobs

A consistent theme in the data: one job no longer feels like enough.

• 3% of all mentions referenced taking on a second job, part-time role, or side hustle—often positioned as a survival tool, not a passion project.

• Insufficient income was the biggest driver of negative sentiment, accounting for 40% of negative posts.

• 7% of negative sentiment was tied directly to working multiple jobs—people sharing 18-hour days, chronic pain, and burnout.

Typical narratives included:

• A six-figure earner debating a second job because costs have climbed so quickly.

• Workers who want to quit toxic or low-pay roles but are paralyzed by fear of not making rent or losing healthcare.

For brands and employers, this is a crucial signal:

• Consumers are more price-sensitive and risk-averse.

• Employees are more exhausted, less engaged, and more likely to judge employers on stability, benefits, and flexibility—not just salary headlines.

AI and robots: Future-of-work anxiety is now mainstream

AI is no longer an abstract talking point. It’s showing up in everyday jobs and routines—and people are scared.

• 7% of the job-related corpus explicitly mentioned AI or robots replacing jobs.

• Consumers referenced AI ordering systems at fast-food chains, automated customer support, and AI-driven layoffs in tech, warehousing, and professional services.

These ground-level stories align with elite commentary:

• AI leaders like Anthropic’s Dario Amodei have warned that AI could eliminate up to 50% of entry-level white-collar roles and push unemployment as high as 10–20%. Axios+2Marketing AI Institute+2

The social mood reflects a few dominant beliefs:

• Entry-level jobs are “disappearing before people can even apply.”

• AI is being used as a justification for cost-cutting more than as a tool for augmenting workers.

• Young workers, especially recent graduates, worry they may “never catch up” if they can’t land that crucial first role.

For companies deploying AI, this is a messaging challenge and a strategic risk. If your workforce hears “AI” and thinks “I’m disposable,” engagement and loyalty will erode quickly—even if your actual intent is augmentation, not replacement.

The ATS and “ghost job” problem

Some of the sharpest frustration in the dataset focused on how people look for jobs, not just whether jobs exist.

Two specific friction points stood out:

1. Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)
• Mentioned in 1% of the data, but with overwhelmingly negative tone.
• ATS was described as setting “weird standards” that block hardworking people from even reaching a human recruiter.
• Candidates feel reduced to keyword math, forced to game the system with formatting hacks rather than being evaluated on experience and grit.

2. Ghost jobs
• 1% of the corpus discussed job listings that appear to be fake—roles posted with no intent to hire.
• Users believe these are used to:
• Farm résumés and salary data
• Look good to investors or boards
• Inflate “open roles” metrics to reassure policymakers or the public about labor market health

The result? Deep cynicism about the hiring process. Qualified applicants feel the odds are structurally rigged against them—even in sectors that claim to be “desperate for talent.”

Immigration, H-1B, and perceived competition for jobs

A smaller but emotionally intense slice of the conversation focused on immigration and foreign labor.

• Around 1% of mentions flagged the H-1B visa program as “rampant with fraud,” accusing large tech firms of filling entry-level roles with cheaper foreign workers instead of American graduates.

• An additional 2% of negative sentiment related to a broader belief that undocumented immigrants are “taking jobs” while also drawing on social services.

Whether these perceptions are accurate or not, they shape voter behavior, workplace dynamics, and brand trust. Companies that rely on global talent need to understand these narratives and be prepared to explain:

• Why certain roles require specialized skills

• How they balance global hiring with local investment

• What they are doing to improve opportunities for domestic graduates and workers

The emotional math: 37% negative, 8% positive

Overall, sentiment around jobs and employment in this 18M-mention dataset is skewed negative:

• 37% negative sentiment, driven primarily by:
• Insufficient income (40% of negative)
• Job loss and unemployment (22% of negative)
• Need for multiple jobs and resulting burnout (7% of negative)
• Anger over perceived impacts of immigration and foreign labor (2% of negative)

• 8% positive sentiment, anchored by:
• Getting a new job (6%): landing a role after months of searching, getting rehired after a layoff, or securing a better opportunity sparked huge joy.
• Meaningful work (2%): people in caregiving, healthcare, education, or mission-driven sectors highlighted the emotional payoff of “making a difference,” even when pay wasn’t ideal.

The positive stories are there but they’re overshadowed by fear and exhaustion. That imbalance is a signal in itself.

What this means for brands, employers, and policymakers

From a RILA perspective, these findings are more than “labor market commentary.” They’re a real-time stress test of trust in institutions - employers, platforms, and policymakers alike.

A few implications:

• Employer brands are under pressure. Layoffs, controversial H-1B perceptions, and AI-driven restructuring are public, emotional events. Employees and candidates are documenting everything on social.

• Compensation narratives matter as much as the paycheck. People want to see how employers acknowledge inflation, rising living costs, and the reality that one job often isn’t enough.

• AI strategy must be people-centric. The story workers hear today is that AI is a layoff machine. Companies that don’t proactively reframe AI around upskilling, internal mobility, and safer work will face resistance.

• Hiring UX is now part of your brand. Frustration with ATS and ghost jobs erodes trust long before day one. Making hiring more transparent and human is a differentiator.