You're not broken. The job market is. episode artwork

EPISODE · Jan 26, 2026 · 20 MIN

You're not broken. The job market is.

from It's Been a Minute

Job seekers are sending out hundreds of applications. Here’s why they’re not hearing back.The unemployment rate has been climbing over the past few years, but historically, it isn’t that high… Even so, some people have been talking about having a really, really rough time finding work. Brittany is joined by Wailin Wong, co-host of NPR’s Indicator podcast, and Nitish Pahwa, staff writer for business and tech at Slate, to get into why the decent macroeconomic numbers aren’t adding up for job seekers and why the market might be stuck in an “AI doom loop.”Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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You're not broken. The job market is.

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