Gen Zers are posting their unemployment era on TikTok—and it’s way too real

Finding a job is hard right now. To cope, Gen Zers are documenting the reality of unemployment in 2025.

“You look sadder,” one TikTok post reads, flipping the recent “You look happier” trend on its head (in which people respond with the real reason they’re smiling a little more than usual). 

“Thanks, yeah, I’ve been laid off since September, applied to 700+ jobs, 30+ interviews, no offers, and rent is due again,” the post continues. The video has over 783,000 views, with many commenting they are in the same boat.

“Being unemployed in 2025 means spending half the day on Linkedin and the other half walking around town looking for a Waymo to run me over,” the same creator jokes in another video.

For many job seekers, their unemployed status is not for lack of trying. Some are busy testing out different job hacks and documenting the results. Others are posting day-in-the-life videos of unemployment, highlighting the harsh reality of searching for a job in the current climate. “I think the new Hot Girl Summer is actually gonna be Unemployed Girl Summer,” one TikToker says. 

Even the recruiters are weighing in. “I am still shocked how many people in my comment sections are underestimating how cooked the corporate job market is,” one recruiter explains in a recent video, currently at 617,400 views. “I’ve literally never seen candidates struggle as much as they are right now.”

The comment section is filled with those sharing their own experiences and frustrations with the job search and current hiring processes. “I’ve come to the conclusion that most job board sites are nothing but data-mining operations,” one person writes. “I had to send in my birth chart (wish I was kidding),” comments another. 

The data backs it up: It hasn’t been this hard for Americans to find work since 2021, according to CNN. While new data released Thursday showed that initial claims for unemployment benefits fell last week, the number of recurring claims made by people who already have filed for unemployment rose to their highest level since November 2021. 

Rather than conducting mass layoffs, employers are reining in hiring—leaving unemployed job seekers with the short straw. CNN also reported that people are staying unemployed for about six months on average, with long-term unemployment (27 weeks or more) nearing a three-year high.

Faced with such dire circumstances, some are choosing to look for a silver lining. As one TikTok post reminds: “Enjoy your unemployed era while you still can.” Or at least try to.

https://www.fastcompany.com/91366288/gen-z-is-posting-their-unemployment-era-on-tiktok-and-its-way-too-real?partner=rss&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss+fastcompany&utm_content=rss