DENVER, Aug. 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Nearly two-thirds of job seekers (63 percent) believe salaries are not keeping pace with inflation, according to new data from Employ Inc. While more candidates are negotiating their pay than in years past, many still feel their earnings fall short of rising costs, pointing to a growing tension between compensation progress and economic reality.
These findings come from Employ’s 2025 Job Seeker Nation Report, an annual research study that explores how job seekers view the labor market, what they value in potential employers, and how they navigate the hiring process from compensation conversations to AI in recruiting. Based on responses from more than 1,500 U.S. adults who are working or actively seeking work, the report captures insights into candidate behavior, satisfaction, trust, communication preferences and job search sentiment.
This year’s edition of the report, titled, Job Market Truths—What’s Driving Candidates in 2025, reveals that 37 percent of job seekers negotiated their salary in the last year, up from 29 percent in 2017. Of those workers who negotiated higher pay, 80 percent reported receiving raises of between 5 and 10 percent. This increase in negotiations …