Stuck in a job or job search? How to feel better

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One of the few things more stressful than looking for a job in 2026 may be trying to hold onto one, new research suggests.After a year of weak growth, the labor market has shown some signs of picking up steam. The Labor Department estimated U.S. employers added 115,000 jobs in April and 185,000 jobs in March. But month after month, hiring remains concentrated in certain sectors like health care and social assistance. Workers outside those industries have clung to their jobs fearing they won’t be able to find another amid growing AI adoption, waves of layoffs, and a general sense of economic uncertainty that may prompt employers to scale back hiring.Attempting to secure a job in this environment can feel grueling. A Resume Genius report detailing the results of a survey of 1,000 job seekers conducted by Pollfish found 49% of those looking for work say the search has negatively impacted their mental health.But workers staying in roles they don’t enjoy can also come at a cost to their well-being. A Monster report breaking down the findings of a survey of 1,000 employed U.S. workers, also conducted by Pollfish, found 59% say their job negatively affects their mental health at least monthly.Some Americans are impacted by both – afraid of being laid off from a job they dislike and worried about their prospects in today's job market. Jo-Ann, 55, of Pennsylvania, who wanted her last name withheld over fears it would hurt her ability to land a new job, has been laid off four times over the last three decades and is concerned it could happen again as the company she works for adopts AI tools. She's heard whispers her department could be dissolved by next year."I've been to different states. I've used recruiters. I've used resume writers. I've been to headhunters, more headhunters than I can tell you, and the jobs that they keep sending me that 'you qualify for' are now 14 bucks an hour, if I'm lucky," she said, adding she's surprised her experience in IT, tech, insurance and criminal law wouldn't make her more valuable to an employer. "14 bucks an hour is not paying my bills."How is job stress affecting workers?The Monster survey found 46% of workers reported experiencing burnout. Employees said the factor contributing most to their stress is increased workload or understaffing, followed by poor management, struggles with work-life balance and workplace conflict or drama. About a quarter of respondents said stagnant pay and fear of layoffs also contributed."The expectation is, potentially, while we’re not going to increase headcount, we not only expect you to continue to do your job and do it well, we’re now going to give you 30% more of the workload and at the same rate," Monster career expert Vicki Salemi said, adding workers are taking on increased responsibility after their coworkers are laid off.Although the national quits rate is relatively low – hovering around 2% – Salemi said employers shouldn’t see high retention as a sign that their workers are happy. She added the report found 71% of workers admitted to staying in a job they knew was “toxic.”"If you have an unhappy workforce, they’re not ultimately going to help your bottom line,” Salemi said, adding that worker burnout can lead to mistakes and a decrease in productivity if companies don’t act.What is stressing out job seekers?The grass isn’t always greener on the other side.The Resume Genius report found nearly half of job seekers say the search has negatively impacted their mental health, with 55% frustrated by receiving no response after applying, 44% upset by not hearing back after interviewing and 24% frustrated by automated or AI-generated rejection messages. Lisa Countryman-Quiroz, a national workforce expert at JVS, a professional training and coaching nonprofit, said job seekers who have been in the professional world for more than a few years are experiencing a pendulum shift. The period in 2021 and 2022 when workers voluntarily quit their jobs known as “the great resignation” is over, return-to-office mandates are back and competition isn’t only coming from other workers. A whopping 80% of job seekers surveyed said they were worried AI will replace jobs in their field.“Not only do workers not have power, a lot apparent benefits are being rolled back,” Countryman-Quiroz said. “Additionally, now the promise of what kind of opportunities might be available to you, in sort of a broad sense, is vastly darkened.”What to do if you feel stuck in your jobSalemi said workers experiencing burnout should first seek to understand whether their job is in fact to blame for their deteriorating mental health.“On a Sunday night, do you get that pit in the stomach feeling?” she said, adding workers may ask themselves if they fear being yelled at, their work going unrecognized, their workload being unmanageable for one person, they are underpaid, and worry about the response they would receive if they asked to take a mental health day.For those who answer yes to those questions, she advises them to identify the underlying reason. If it’s a problem with their boss, she said workers may attempt to switch departments or roles within their company. If it’s an overall company culture issue, it may be time to update their resume, she said, adding it’s best to have a backup plan or solid savings cushion in place before quitting.What to do if you feel stressed in a job searchCareer experts recommend job seekers struggling with their search cultivate community, whether that be connecting with people in similar situations or a nonprofit focused on helping people navigate the job market.“There are no-cost training programs that you can tap into,” Countryman-Quiroz said. “Tap into the resources that are available and tap into social supports to ensure that you maintain the energy and the motivation to move successfully through the process.”She and Salemi both recommend seeking out professional counseling if the search is seriously impacting a job seeker’s mental health. Simple things like recognizing their situation is temporary and doing physical movement, including yoga and meditation, can help too, Salemi said.Side hustles and seasonal work can provide income streams to help bridge the gap between full-time positions, she added.How to talk to your boss about your mental healthJo-Ann, who has complex post-traumatic stress disorder, says she would not feel comfortable sharing her diagnosis with her current employer. She asked a former employer for accommodations in the past, and said she was denied because she was seen as "too high functioning.""PTSD has a lot of stigma, and I do not fit the profile of someone who has that," Jo-Ann said, adding many people associate it with combat veterans or mass shooter incidents, although her trauma stems from her childhood. "I don't want that to affect whether or not they want to keep me."She's not alone. Of those surveyed by Monster, 37% said they feel they can’t be honest about their mental health at work without facing negative consequences. Salemi suggests workers carefully frame the conversation with their boss.She said rather than pointing to burnout, workers should focus on how they’ve mastered their current responsibilities and want to pivot to another role that will offer more learning opportunities.“Make it more role-centric and less about, ‘Oh my gosh. This job is killing me,’ especially for the same employer, and even for a new employer,” Salemi said.“Having a clear picture of your own skills, preferences, and opportunities for growth – that is a really good grounding to go into any conversation with your manager… You can get the outcome without necessarily having the conversation be directly about your mental health.” Countryman-Quiroz said. “Open the conversation in ways that are clearly a benefit to you, but also a benefit to the company. Then your manager is going to be more open to explorations.”Reach Rachel Barber at rbarber@usatoday.com, follow her on X @rachelbarber_, and subscribe to her newsletter "Making More of Your Money" here.