![\"2025](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/2025-04-09-cda-nr-unemployment-consequences-graphic.jpg\")
<\/p>\nTORONTO, April 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In a rapidly changing job market, the consequences of prolonged unemployment are taking a significant toll on job seekers, affecting not only their skills and confidence but also their mental health and networking opportunities, according to an Express Employment Professionals-Harris Poll survey.<\/p>\n
The primary reasons for unemployment include needing to quit or voluntarily quitting (33%) and being laid off (17%). Over one-quarter of unemployed job seekers (27%) have been out of work for more than two years. While this is lower than 38% in the Spring and Fall of 2023, the proportion is still relatively high and the impacts can be severe.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Impacts of Extended Unemployment<\/strong> The concerns of unemployed Canadians align with the issues Canadian companies face in finding candidates. One in three Canadian companies (32%) report having open positions they cannot fill, which they attribute mainly to a lack of applicants with relevant experience (45%), a lack of applicants with hard skills (44%) and a lack of applicants with soft skills (32%).<\/p>\n Two-thirds of companies (66%) say that deterioration of both hard and soft skills is a main impact of being unemployed for an extended period of time, especially for young adults (ages 18-26).<\/p>\n Expert Tips for Job Seekers<\/strong> \u201cThe biggest impact of unemployment I see is on mental health; a lot of job seekers feel deeply frustrated by how hard the process is,\u201d said Pollington. \u201cWhat can be most disheartening is the sheer volume of rejection, especially for people who aren\u2019t in roles where rejection is a regular part of their work. It can feel deeply personal and defeating.\u201d<\/p>\n Pollington says one of the biggest challenges rarely discussed is the overwhelming amount of disinformation circulating online. Job seekers are being bombarded with messages that don\u2019t reflect the reality of today\u2019s hiring market. His examples include:<\/p>\n \u201cWhen job seekers are surrounded by messages blaming external forces, even though that can be true in some instances, it can make it harder for them to reflect, adapt and respond to what the market is actually looking for,\u201d said Pollington. \u201cJob seekers are trying to navigate a very real emotional and financial stress while being misled by advice that keeps them stuck. What they need is honest guidance, practical tools and a better understanding of how hiring works today.\u201d<\/p>\n Turning Unemployment into a Learning Opportunity<\/strong> \u201cThe people who stand out in today\u2019s job market aren\u2019t just upskilled \u2014 they\u2019re aligned,\u201d Pollington said. \u201cThey\u2019ve taken the time to understand what drives employer decisions, what catches attention in a sea of resumes and how to tailor their approach to speak directly to what companies need.\u201d<\/p>\n Pollington says what\u2019s holding many job seekers back is that they\u2019re still applying the same way that worked five or even 10 years ago. His advice to job seekers is that the \u201cspray and pray\u201d approach is no longer effective. Thoughtful, strategic applications are what stand out now, especially in a noisy market.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t apply to everything. Don\u2019t fire off the same resume and cover letter over and over,\u201d said Pollington. Instead, apply only to roles that closely align with your interests. Take the time, effort and energy to build a highly tailored and purpose-built application, and include a focused cover letter and a resume that speaks directly to the role and the company.\u201d<\/p>\n Pollington suggests job seekers try to step into the mindset of the people making hiring decisions and learning to see the process through their eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cMost of the answers are available online, often for free, but it takes a lot of persistence, clarity and effort to wade through all of it and find the right ones at a time when unemployment can take a huge mental and physical toll,\u201d Pollington said. \u201cDo your research and then use it to build a specific, thoughtful, and aligned application for a job for which you\u2019re a close fit.\u201d That\u2019s what gets noticed. That\u2019s what gets you in the door.\u201d<\/p>\n Staying positive in the face of adversity can be a powerful catalyst for change, according to Express Employment International CEO Bill Stoller.<\/p>\n \u201cBy focusing on skill development and networking, job seekers can turn this period into a stepping stone for future success,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Survey Methodology<\/strong> The Job Seeker Report was conducted online within Canada by The Harris Poll on behalf of Express Employment Professionals from Nov. 21 to Dec. 6, 2024, among 505 adults ages 18 and older.<\/p>\n For full survey methodology, please contact Ana Curic at Ana@MapleLeafStrategies.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you would like to arrange for an interview to discuss this topic, please contact Ana Curic at\u00a0 About Bill Stoller<\/strong> About Express Employment Professionals<\/strong>
Extended periods of unemployment have both practical and mental impacts on job seekers. The most common effects include:<\/p>\n\n
As a staffing industry expert and Vancouver Express franchise owner, Brent Pollington frequently witnesses both the joy of employment and the heartbreak of job loss that is unavoidable.<\/p>\n\n
According to Pollington, job seekers who find success are those who use rejection as an opportunity to reassess their job search strategy, their resume, outreach and LinkedIn profile.<\/p>\n
The Job Insights survey was conducted online within Canada by The Harris Poll on behalf of Express Employment Professionals between Nov. 11 \u2013 26, 2024, among 505 Canadian hiring decision-makers<\/p>\n
(613) 858-2622 or email Ana@MapleLeafStrategies.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n
William H. “Bill” Stoller is chairman and chief executive officer of Express Employment\u00a0International. Founded in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the international staffing franchisor\u00a0supports the Express Employment Professionals franchise and related brands. The Express franchise brand is an industry-leading, international staffing company with franchise locations in the U.S., Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.<\/p>\n
At Express Employment Professionals, we\u2019re in the business of people. From job seekers to\u00a0client companies, Express helps people thrive and businesses grow. Our international network\u00a0of franchises offers localized staffing solutions to the communities they serve across the U.S.,\u00a0Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, employing 427,000 people globally in 2024 and more than 11 million since its inception. For more information, visit ExpressPros.ca<\/a>.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Express-Employment-Professiona.png\")
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"TORONTO, April 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In a rapidly changing job market, the consequences of prolonged unemployment…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":9988,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3092],"tags":[51,6788,6787,6790,6789,6786,6783,897,6784,6785,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-9987","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-jobs","8":"tag-business","9":"tag-canada-economy","10":"tag-canada-employment","11":"tag-canada-hiring","12":"tag-canada-jobs","13":"tag-canadian-labour-survey","14":"tag-express-employment-professionals","15":"tag-jobs","16":"tag-labour-force-survey","17":"tag-labour-market-survey","18":"tag-uk","19":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114317722143301451","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9987","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9987"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9987\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9988"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9987"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9987"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9987"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}