Originally published on Career Contessa in September 2023. Updated October 2026.
You're unemployed with no solid leads. What should you do?
There's nothing worse career-wise than being laid off. (Well, there could be other equally bad things, but this one hits different.)
Job loss is one of those career events that can have a lasting impact, and most of the time, people don't see it coming.
What makes that feeling last even longer? When your job search turns into days, then weeks, then months, and you realize you're joining the ranks of the long-term unemployed.
Is this something to be worried about? What does it even mean to be long-term unemployed in the United States?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the long-term unemployed are people who have been out of work for 27 weeks or more and have actively looked for work in the past four weeks.
Twenty-seven weeks is a little over six months. And more people are living it now. In September 2026, about 1.9 million Americans had been jobless for 27 weeks or longer. That's 27.1% of everyone who is unemployed, up from 23.6% a year earlier and 17.6% in early 2023. More than one in four unemployed people are now in a long-term search.
If that's you, you are not alone, and it is not a personal failure.
I believe anyone who wants to work should be able to. So even if you haven't hit 27 weeks, the time between your last job and your next one may already be taking a toll on your mental health or your finances. That counts.
How to Survive a Long-Term Job Search
1. Take Time to Regroup
If your search is reaching (or past) the six-month mark, it may be time to regroup.
First, acknowledge the state of the job market. Searching during economic uncertainty, hiring freezes, and waves of layoffs is hard, and it's harder now that many companies screen applications with automated tools before a person ever sees them. (More on that below.)
Take a short break from job search activity and start fresh, but be aware of the time of year. Historically, early spring (February to April) and the summer-to-fall transition (September to early November) bring a surge in hiring. December is usually when hiring slows down.
This will look different for everyone, but it's time to look with a different lens and ask whether your goals are still the same. Is financial security the main priority, or is it worth waiting for something that checks every box? If your financial picture has changed, now may be the time to apply for unemployment benefits through your state, or to ask about an extension.
2. Consider Freelance or Part-Time Work
It may be time to consider (or reconsider) contract assignments, freelance work, or part-time work.
It was easy to pass on these at the start of your search in favor of something closer to the role you left. Don't overlook them now. In some industries, contract roles are more plentiful than full-time ones, and some last 18 months or longer at very reputable organizations.
On your resume, that reads as stable, long-term work. It's also a great place to test a new skill or upskill on the job. Which brings us to the next point.
3. Take Time for Professional Growth
It may be time to upskill.
Have you been putting off a certification you never had time to finish? Is there something you should learn to get ahead of a change in your industry? Do you want to go back to school? Now is the time to learn something new and put it to use.
This is also the moment to get comfortable with AI tools if you've been avoiding them. Employers increasingly expect it, and the basics are free to learn.
4. Consider a Different Industry
Were you in love with your industry, or with the type of work you were doing? If you've only been looking in one niche, it may be time to branch out.
Your skills likely carry over to adjacent industries. And if your industry keeps having layoffs, it's time to look elsewhere. You can always come back when things are better. Who knows, you may find something you love just as much (or more). Give it a chance.
5. Rethink Your Networking Strategy
If you feel like you've exhausted your entire network, it's worth one more intentional pass.
Make a list of everyone you know: friends, family, friends of friends, former colleagues from your first job out of college to your most recent one, high school classmates, people who were laid off with you, your kids' friends' parents. You get the point.
Now go back through and note where each person works. Look at each company's careers page for jobs that interest you. Then reach out to the people on your list with a specific ask about a specific job.
Your network wants to help. They just may not know how unless you're specific.
Networking matters more now than when I first wrote this. A 2026 Stanford-led study of about 4 million job applications found that when many employers use the same screening vendor, the same applicants tend to get rejected again and again across companies. A referral or an introduction is one of the few ways to get your application in front of a human. Need help getting started? Grab my Networking Guide Here!
6. Use AI as Your Amplifier, Not Your Voice
I see two extremes right now: job seekers who won't touch AI, and job seekers who let it do everything, including answering interview questions in real time. Both hurt you. The healthy middle: you think, AI helps you refine. You draft, AI helps you tighten.
Where it helps most in a long search:
Tailor your resume to a specific job description, then make the edits yourself.
Map your transferable skills to a new industry (see #4).
Tighten your networking messages (see #5).
Practice interviews by having AI play the interviewer. Before the interview, never during.
Just keep your voice. No company is hiring AI. They're hiring your thinking and judgment. If it doesn't sound like you, rewrite it.
7. Use LinkedIn with Intention
Make sure you aren't just posting to post, or sharing anything that might make a hiring manager or recruiter think twice about reaching out. If you aren't sure, it's probably best not to post it. (Save those posts for a different platform.)
Instead, use posts creatively. Write a short feature story about yourself. Volunteering anywhere cool? Did you travel somewhere? Use posts to show recruiters and hiring managers how you've been spending your time.
Another way to use LinkedIn intentionally is InMail. You may have a few free ones. Now is a great time to use them.
Do some research. Is there someone in your extended network you'd like an introduction to, or coffee with? Someone worth an informational interview? This is the time to be bold and ask.
There's a 50/50 chance of getting a response. But if you don't send the message, there's a 100% chance you won't make the connection. You have nothing to lose by trying.
8. (Re)Discover Your Hobbies
Focus on a hobby, or for the first time ever, find one. This is a great time to get back in touch with yourself. This may not be your first career break, and over a 30-year career, it's unlikely to be your last.
If you give 115% to work, let me be clear: work is not a hobby. (Sorry!)
There should be things in life you do purely for enjoyment, stress relief, or a creative outlet that aren't work. You may love your job, but it isn't and should never be everything. Your career is only part of your life story. It shouldn't be the only story you have to tell.
Spend some time crafting, writing, cooking, building, whatever. It will be good for your soul to get lost in something just because you enjoy it.
9. Create a Sustainable Routine
Make a schedule for yourself, just like you would if you were working. That doesn't mean job searching eight hours a day, five days a week. It means putting boundaries around what you're doing.
Your schedule should include exercise, time with people, that hobby from #8, and anything else that brings you joy: family, volunteering, and so on. This is your chance to build good habits for when you go back to work.
Set aside time each week to look at openings, apply, and network. Two or three days for a couple of hours each is plenty.
10. Expand Your Search
Everyone is using LinkedIn and Indeed, so it's time to diversify. That way you aren't just adding your application to the same pile as everyone else. In fact, Huntr's 2026 analysis of about 600,000 applications found that jobs found through Google led to interviews about 11% of the time, compared to about 3% for LinkedIn.
Here are some places to look:
HiringCafe (a free search engine that pulls jobs directly from company websites, with salary info and fewer ghost jobs)
Built In (tech and tech-adjacent companies, including roles in HR, marketing, sales, and operations)
Wellfound (startups)
Glassdoor (job listings plus employee reviews and salary data, great for research)
Welcome to the Jungle (company culture-focused listings)
FlexJobs (remote, hybrid, and flexible-schedule roles)
Ladders (roles paying $100K+, including executive positions)
Idealist (if you're interested in the nonprofit space)
PowerToFly (focused on diverse and inclusive hiring)
Also check whether your college or university's career center offers services to alumni. It's often free, and many schools let alumni attend career fairs and use other career services.
11. Consider a Career Coach
If you're feeling directionless, it may be time to talk with a career coach or take a career assessment for an objective perspective.
Long-term unemployment can make you question your entire work history and doubt your chosen field. Questioning is normal. Talking it through with an expert is a great way to build a plan forward.
A reputable career assessment is an objective, research-backed way to identify your strengths and interests. The results may tell you something you didn't know about yourself and spark new ideas or direction. To Book a Free Discovery call with me, click here!
12. Prioritize Your Mental Health
Finally, and above all, take care of your mental health. The effects of long-term unemployment can reach further than you realize.
There's no shame in seeing a licensed professional if depression or anxiety starts to take over. Either one alone can make it hard for even the most talented, capable people to stay creative and keep going in their search.
Good luck, and hang in there. This won't last forever.
Sources
Algorithmic Monocultures in Hiring (Stanford Digital Economy Lab, May 2026)
Q&A: Algorithmic Monoculture in Hiring (Stanford Digital Economy Lab)