BURSTAlready on edge thanks to repeated rounds of layoffs, the latest revisions from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) haven’t been great news for U.S. workers.
The updated figures showed that just 73,000 new jobs were added in July, which fell well below expectations. Layoffs are also rising at twice the rate seen last year.
Recent analysis from jobs site Indeed indicated that in July, job postings were down in many traditional office job sectors, such as banking and finance, human resources, marketing and software development.
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Indeed says that the most recent jobs report “officially ripped the mask off the market”, but as anyone job hunting will know, things have been slow for a while. Businesses and organizations have been delaying, or pulling back entirely on hiring plans all year.
That’s led to the current soft labor market, which is seeing less demand for workers than there are people seeking jobs. This in turn leads to a decrease in wages and job opportunities.
In fact, the only sector that’s showing growth is within healthcare and social assistance. While it accounts for just 14.6% of total jobs in the economy, 48.8% of all employment growth in the U.S. has been within this area over the past year.
None of this is great news for job hunters, and with the rise of AI and recession fears also top of mind, it is no wonder that a new workplace trend has emerged.
Skills masking crisis
A new survey of 2,000 full-time employees, at all levels, in the US and UK, was conducted by Attensi over June and July of this year.
The results highlight what the company says is a “silent crisis in today’s workforce”, where more than half (58%) admit to “skill masking”.
In a nutshell, if workers still have a job, they’re very likely to want to keep it. In order to seem the most competent they can be, workers are starting to deliberately hide gaps in their knowledge or competence to avoid judgment––or a layoff.
The study found that nearly half (46%) of polled workers have faked their understanding of something at work, and 40% will avoid asking for help even when they’re unsure how to proceed. Another 51% sometimes feel underqualified for their role.
This data points to a rising skill-set anxiety, which is especially common among younger workers. One in 3 workers under 45 reports skill-set anxiety, for example.
Turbulent times
In a period of economic and workforce change, it's not surprising that workers are anxious and keen to put their best face forward, even if they’re sometimes faking it before they make it.
A new report from the American Psychological Association adds more context around how workers are dealing with change, and how they feel about it.
The 2025 Work in America Survey: The Experience of Working in America During Times of Change report found that 89% say their company or organization had gone through at least some change within the past year. For 26%, those changes were significant or transformative.
Thirty-five percent said they’d seen changes in job roles or responsibilities, with 30% reporting changes in workplace technology.
Recent government policy changes are having repercussions too, with 65% seeing an impact on their company or organization. One in five workers (20%) reported that recent government policy changes had affected their organization in a drastic or significant way (5% drastically, 15% significantly). Reasons cited included budget and staffing cuts, as well as the impacts tariffs may have on smaller businesses.
AI on the rise
The report also shone a light on the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and how it is rapidly changing the experience of working in America.
For those suffering from skill set anxieties, generative AI tools can be a real boon. In fact, more than two-thirds of workers agreed that they are able to accomplish more at their job now than in the past because of new technology (68%).
Another 60% said that technological changes have created new opportunities for them in their current role or career path.
Only 28% think that advancements in technology are making their job worse, not better. This figure is notably lower than last year’s figure of 36%, showing that negative sentiment around AI and its ilk is diminishing.
Generative AI tools can now help employees find new jobs, finesse resume and application materials, apply for roles, develop ideas for reports and presentations and compare and contrast data, for example.
As a result, it’s not surprising that the Attensi research also highlighted the growing awareness around AI in the workplace, and employees’ willingness to use it.
Almost half of respondents have already attempted to deal with their knowledge gaps by self-teaching themselves new skills.
Two-thirds of respondents (67%) said they would be likely or very likely to use AI-powered tools to improve job-critical skills, with only 7% saying they would be unlikely to use AI.
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