It’s Harder Than Ever to Land a White-Collar Job

Hello, and welcome back. In this edition, we take a look at the disappearing white-collar job, where the return to the office stands now, why your next big move should scare you and more.

This is a short version of The Wall Street Journal’s Careers & Leadership newsletter. Sign up here to get the full edition in your inbox every week.

Nine Rounds of Interviews and No Call Back: It’s Harder Than Ever to Land a White-Collar Job

Amid layoffs and hiring freezes, many employers have slowed down filling office jobs, executives and recruiters say. They’re slow-walking candidates, piling on new requirements and running prospective hires through additional interviews – a stark departure from the jobs market during the Covid-19 pandemic.

White-collar job seekers are feeling whiplash .

The Disappearing White-Collar Job?

Not only are white-collar jobs more difficult to land, they’re also getting harder to find. Companies under pressure to operate more efficiently are rethinking the value of many white-collar roles in what some experts anticipate will result in a permanent shift in labor demand. Millions of Americans’ jobs will be lost, diminished or revamped, partly through the use of artificial intelligence.

It’s a perfect storm for corporate America .

Your Next Big Move Should Scare You

If you’re considering making a big change as the jobs landscape shifts, consider this advice: So many of the big moments and decisions in our lives – taking the job, committing to your person, starting a family – inherently come with that stomach-drop of a feeling, especially if we're sizing them up realistically.

That doesn't mean you should say no .?

Elsewhere in The Wall Street Journal

Check out some of the Journal’s other best-read stories on work life and the office over the past week:

• The Return to the Office Has Stalled (Read )
• Office Brainstorms Are a Waste of Time (Read )
• The Way We Retire Now (Read )

This is a condensed version of WSJ’s Careers & Leadership newsletter. Sign up here to get the WSJ’s comprehensive work coverage in your inbox each week.

This newsletter was curated by Gretchen Tarrant, WSJ Producer. Let us know what you think by dropping us a note at [email protected]