Job-seekers Struggle as Hiring Landscape Shifts to AI

Long-term unemployment rises as automated hiring systems leave many applicants ghosted

Published on Feb. 26, 2026

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The labor market has softened, with employers adding just 181,000 jobs in 2025, a million fewer than previously believed. This has led to a rise in long-term unemployment, with 1 in 4 jobless workers looking for work for more than 27 weeks. Job-seekers like Jacob Sandy and Akilah Adams are frustrated by the increasing use of AI in hiring, which has left them "completely ghosted" on applications. Black women have been particularly hard hit, with their unemployment rate jumping to 7.3% by the end of 2025. Some, like Charlotte Wilson Langley, are struggling to make ends meet and are turning to side hustles and gig work to survive.

Why it matters

The stagnant job market and rise of AI-powered hiring systems are making it increasingly difficult for the long-term unemployed to find work, exacerbating economic insecurity and inequality. This trend disproportionately impacts marginalized groups like Black women, who face additional barriers to employment.

The details

Job-seekers report that hiring systems have become more automated and AI-influenced in recent years, leading to a rise in "ghosting" where applications go unanswered. This has been especially frustrating for those like Jacob Sandy, who left his job voluntarily in 2023 only to struggle to find work for over two years. The unemployment rate has edged up to 4.3%, and the "hires rate" is similar to the slow pace coming out of the Great Recession. Black women have been hit particularly hard, with their unemployment rate jumping to 7.3% by the end of 2025 due to job losses in government, manufacturing, and professional services.

  • In December 2023, Jacob Sandy left his job as a software engineer.
  • By the end of 2025, the unemployment rate for Black women had jumped to 7.3%.
  • In January 2026, the jobs report showed stronger than expected growth, but updated data revealed employers added just 181,000 jobs in 2025, over a million fewer than previously believed.

The players

Jacob Sandy

A 45-year-old software engineer who has been unemployed for over two years since voluntarily leaving his job in 2023.

Akilah Adams

An executive assistant based in Atlanta who has been looking for work since June 2025 and has faced extra barriers as a Black woman in her early 40s.

Charlotte Wilson Langley

A children's television writer living in Los Angeles who has been piecing together part-time jobs after losing her staff writing job at Disney in 2023.

Saba Waheed

The director of the UCLA Labor Center who suggests policymakers could learn from the government's COVID-era response to help workers struggling with long-term unemployment.

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What they’re saying

“It just felt like they were making it miserable and hoping we'd leave.”

— Jacob Sandy (stocktonia.org)

“Right now, it's just an extremely different market than any market that I've been unemployed in.”

— Akilah Adams, executive assistant (stocktonia.org)

“Every time that I was able to make my rent last year felt like a miracle.”

— Charlotte Wilson Langley, children's television writer (stocktonia.org)

“There were strategies that were used during COVID that were actually really useful.”

— Saba Waheed, director of the UCLA Labor Center (stocktonia.org)

What’s next

Policymakers could consider enacting eviction moratoriums and extending unemployment benefits to provide a stronger social safety net for workers struggling with long-term unemployment.

The takeaway

The rise of AI-powered hiring systems and a stagnant job market have created significant challenges for the long-term unemployed, disproportionately impacting marginalized groups like Black women. Addressing these issues will require a multi-pronged approach, including policy solutions to strengthen the social safety net and support those facing prolonged joblessness.