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Readers: How long have you been searching for a job?
We want to hear from job seekers in Massachusetts about how long you’ve been looking — and what your experience has been like in today’s market.
Recent layoffs, tough competition, and slow job growth rates have made this one of the most challenging job markets in years for Massachusetts residents.
If you’re actively looking for a job right now, we’d like to hear from you. How long have you been on the hunt — weeks, months, a year or more? What’s been your biggest struggle?
Across Greater Boston, layoffs have rippled through major sectors this year, from higher education to biotech, and everything in between, leaving many workers rethinking their next move.
Universities have been particularly hard-hit. In early October, Berklee College of Music laid off 3 percent of its employees across its campuses. Suffolk University laid off 35 staff members in June amid budget pressures tied to enrollment shifts, while Boston University announced in July that it would cut about 120 positions, as part of a 5 percent budget reduction plan.
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The biotech and life sciences industries, long a pillar of the Boston economy, have also taken a beating. Revvity Inc. is cutting over 100 jobs in Massachusetts as it prepares for a consolidation to its Hopkinton headquarters. Similarly, Takeda Pharmaceuticals announced it will lay off 137 employees next year. There were 79 Worker Adjustment and Retraining Act notices filed this year so far, according to the state data. Filing a WARN notice means a company is formally notifying its employees, local government officials, and the public of mass layoffs or a business closure.
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Economic uncertainty, high living costs, and lingering inflation are all adding to the pressure. Even companies that want to grow are cautious. And for many job seekers, Boston’s high housing costs make it difficult to take lower-paying jobs or switch industries.
According to recent labor data, Greater Boston’s unemployment rate has edged up from about 4 percent in August 2024 to 4.5 percent in August 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Statewide, the job opening rate has fallen steadily since 2023 as employers slow hiring and reconsider budgets.
We want to hear from you. How long have you been job hunting — and how’s it going?
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Are you getting interviews, or struggling to land responses? Are you considering gig or part-time work, or switching industries altogether?
Tell us by filling out the form or e-mailing us at [email protected], and your response may appear in a future Boston.com article.
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