Based on data from new hires, the elevated worker optimism and leverage reported at the end of 2024 has faded so far in 2025, according to a survey by ZipRecruiter.
During the first quarter of 2025, fewer workers received signing bonuses, negotiated their offers or got recruited, the report found. New hires were also less likely to increase their pay or receive a counter-offer from their former employer.
“While Q4’s figures hinted at a potential rebound in worker bargaining power, the latest results suggest that momentum was short-lived,” according to the ZipRecruiter report.
In a survey of 1,500 U.S. workers who began their current job in the past six months, 60% said they increased their pay with a job switch, which fell from 73% at the end of 2024.
In addition, 35% said they were actively recruited for their new role, down from 53%, and 31% negotiated their offers, down from 49%.
About 20% received a signing bonus, down from 43%, and 19% received a counter-offer from their previous employer, down from 31%.
Overall, only 19% of new hires said they were “very satisfied” with their new job, which dropped from 31%.
Survey data also indicated that while a growing number of job postings now include pay, persistent gender gaps remain for pay transparency and offer expectations. More than half of new hires said the job post for their current role included a salary or wage range, including 61% of men and 53% of women.
Even when salary ranges were disclosed, final offers often fell short of expectations. About 28% of new hires who saw a range said their offer ended up at or below the low end, including 17% of women and 13% of men.
The survey findings support Indeed data that indicate signing bonuses became less prevalent in 2024. This pattern and other labor market trends, such as declining wage growth and fewer job openings, suggest a tightening labor market, an Indeed economist said.
For now, the labor market appears “frozen in place” amid uncertainty around Trump administration policies, especially for federal workers, leading economists told HR Dive in March. As a result, the “soft economic landing” anticipated in 2024 continues to “hang in the balance,” they said.
In the meantime, companies may need to adjust their recruitment and offer strategies. Only 1 in 5 U.S. companies have a pay transparency strategy, for instance, which highlights a disconnect between what employers say they believe and what they actually do, according to a Mercer report.
