MPR Releases 2025 State of the Workforce Report

MyPerfectResume’s 2025 State of the Workforce Report has uncovered significant challenges that job seekers and employed workers face as they enter a new year in a difficult and uncertain job market.

Key Data Points: 2025 State of the Workforce Report

• Ghost jobs are an ongoing trend: With 81% of recruiters admitting to posting positions that aren’t intended to be filled, ghost jobs will continue to haunt job seekers into 2025.
• Widespread fear of HR: The report reveals that in 2024, 86% of employees were wary of approaching HR due to fears of confidentiality breaches, repercussions, and HR's perceived involvement in office politics.
• RTO tensions: Over three-quarters (77%) of employees feel RTO policies are about employers attempting to control their workforce. Still, more than a third are unwilling to return, even with incentives. Going into 2025, employers will continue to struggle with RTO policies.
• Persisting burnout crisis: An alarming 88% of respondents reported that they have experienced burnout that has impacted both their work satisfaction and their personal lives. One-quarter of respondents say their burnout was severe enough that they have sought mental health support to manage work-induced stress. The persistence of layoffs will fuel this trend well into 2025 as the remaining staff struggle to compensate for headcount losses.

Job Seekers Spooked by Ghost Jobs 

Ghost jobs haunted job seekers in 2024. MyPerfectResume’s 2024 Recruiting Survey found that 81% of recruiters report that they post ghost jobs.

The primary reasons recruiters say they post ghost jobs include:

• 38% to maintain a presence on job boards even when they aren’t hiring.
• 36% to assess the effectiveness of their job descriptions.
• 26% to build a talent pool for the future.
• 26% to gain insights into the job market and competitors.
• 25% to assess how difficult it would be to replace certain employees.
• 23% to make the company look viable during a hiring freeze.

Widespread Fear of Human Resources

MyPerfectResume’s HR Perception Report found that 86% of workers report being afraid of HR representatives, with 85% hesitating to approach HR for work-related issues due to concerns about confidentiality and potential repercussions.

Here are the top reasons employees avoid HR:

• Lack of approachability: 37% of respondents mentioned that HR staff were unapproachable, contributing to the reluctance to seek help.
• Fear of repercussions: 31% of employees feared negative consequences if they raised concerns.
• Lack of trust in confidentiality: 37% expressed doubt that their issues would remain confidential, while 31% preferred handling problems independently or with their manager.

When survey respondents were asked to share their concerns about HR, the top issues reported include:

• 71% think that HR tends to be too involved in office politics.
• 68% think HR focuses on procedures rather than people.
• 67% agree it's hard to get a timely response from HR.

The data also shows that most employees who bring grievances to HR are unsatisfied with how the situation is handled. Almost all (90%) workers surveyed said that when they reported an issue to HR, they felt HR didn’t adequately address it.

RTO Policies Create Tensions Between Workers and Employers

In its 2024 RTO Survey, MyPerfectResume found that workers are unhappy with the mounting pressure to return to full-time onsite work and question their employers’ motives for enforcing these rules. 

The data shows that 77% of workers believe the primary motivation for RTO policies is for employers to exert more control over their workers' activities. In many cases, going back isn’t optional. Of those surveyed, 64% believe their employer wants them back in the office because they don’t trust people to do their work remotely.

Even though 28% say their employer has threatened to fire workers who don’t comply, many workers say they won’t return. In fact, 36% of respondents say there is no perk their company could offer to justify a full-time return to the office.

Even big perks like unlimited PTO and a four-day workweek don’t sway most employees. No perk was deemed valuable enough to persuade the majority of people to return to onsite work. 

However, some incentives rank above others. Here are the top five:

• Fuel reimbursement: 50%
• Unlimited PTO: 47%
• Health insurance: 47%
• Free lunches: 45%  
• A four-day work week: 41%            

Burnout Hasn’t Cooled Off

According to MyPerfectResume’s Employee Burnout Survey, 88% of respondents feel they are experiencing burnout. Burnout has consequences for stressed-out workers. Those surveyed revealed that they have experienced a variety of consequences, including:

Negative feelings about work:

• 1 in 5 workers say they think about quitting their job every day.
• 24% have taken a leave of absence due to stress.
• 20% have called in sick because they couldn’t face going to work.
• 20% felt angry at their co-workers.

Workplace burnout extends into personal lives:

• 1 in 4 say they have experienced depression about their job.
• 77% believe feelings about their job negatively impact their personal life.
• 74% have talked to a mental health professional about work-related stress.

As we look ahead to 2025, addressing these persistent issues will be critical for both job seekers and employers to navigate an increasingly uncertain job market.

For press inquiries, please contact Elizabeth Buccianti, senior public relations manager, at elizabeth.buccianti@bold.com.