New data from LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network, finds that while nearly three out of five (58%) people are looking for a new job in 2025, nearly two-thirds (64%) of HR professionals say it’s actually become harder to find qualified talent in the last year.
More than a third (37%) of job seekers say they are applying to more jobs than ever, but hearing back less. Hirers are also finding the process increasingly challenging. Over a fifth (22%) of HR professionals are spending between three to five hours a day sifting through applications, with 73% of HR professionals saying that less than half of job applications received meet all of the criteria listed.
This mismatch is driven by changes in the skills and roles that businesses need—LinkedIn’s inaugural Work Change Report shows that global hiring for AI talent has surged more than 300% over the last eight years. LinkedIn’s Jobs on the Rise list also reflects the changing needs of businesses—almost three-quarters (71%) of this year’s Jobs on the Rise roles are new to the annual lists.
While these changes are driving innovation and growth, they are also presenting new hiring challenges. LinkedIn data shows that the skills needed for jobs are expected to change 70% by 2030, accelerated by rapid developments in AI. HR professionals list finding candidates with the right technical (51%) and soft (45%) skills as some of the top challenges they face—and nearly two-third (63%) say there’s a mismatch between the skills job seekers have and the skills their organization needs.
Nearly nine in 10 (88%) C-suite executives say helping their business speed up adoption of AI is important over the next year. Access to hiring technologies—including AI-powered tools—is the top thing global HR professionals (51%) say would make the process easier, with nearly three-quarters (74%) saying AI makes it easier to find qualified candidates. To mitigate against emerging skills gaps, businesses are also looking to build skills from within: 77% of HR professionals say their organization is prioritizing upskilling initiatives in 2025—in areas like AI, sustainability, and soft skills.
“Finding the right person for a role often feels like finding a needle in a haystack,” says Olivier Sabella, vice president at LinkedIn. “And it’s natural that companies have been finding it harder to find the talent they need, especially when you consider that many of the fastest-growing job roles we see today didn’t even exist 20 years ago. However, ensuring you have the right people, with the right skills, in the right roles will be crucial for a business’s success in the years to come. It’s great to see businesses taking the front foot on navigating these workplace changes – whether that’s by investing in AI-powered hiring tools to supercharge recruiting efforts or prioritizing upskilling initiatives to build the skills their organization needs from within.”