Concern about finding a job is spiking
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48% of U.S. adults are very concerned about people who want to work being unable to find jobs, according to a recent Pew survey, the highest reading since it started asking the question five years ago.
Why it matters: AI may not be taking Americans' jobs yet, but the fear that it could may already be rattling their confidence in the labor market.
- Half of Americans also say they're very concerned about AI's role in the economy, according to Pew.
The chart captures the striking divide at the heart of today's labor market: Layoffs are historically low, but hiring remains weak.
- On one side: Filings for unemployment benefits have been below 200,000 for a month — a stretch rarely seen since the 1960s.
- Yet Americans put their chances of finding another job within three months if laid off at just 46% in September, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York — up from the prior month but still not far from an all-time low.
The bottom line: For Americans with jobs, the labor market offers relative security.
- For those looking for work, it's a far more daunting picture.
Methodology: Pew surveyed 5,062 U.S. adults on its American Trends Panel from Sept. 28–Oct. 4, 2026 with a margin of error of plus or minus 1.6 percentage points.
