White-collar workers are now taking pay cuts as employers start to get picky — why the US job market may not be well off

On the surface, the U.S. job market looks healthy. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) the unemployment rate sits at 4.4%, which is low by historical standards (1,2).

But beneath that headline figure, a more troubling picture is forming for white-collar workers. And if you’re employed right now, it’s worth paying attention.

Business Insider recently profiled Scott, a man who spent over two years applying to more than 1,600 jobs, taking 78 interviews and burning through his savings before finally landing a position — a six-month contract two levels below his former senior manager role, at half his previous salary. “Accepting this is going to set my career back five years,” he said (3).

And his story is far from unique.

Data from workforce analytics firm Revelio Labs shows that 40% of white-collar workers who switched jobs at the end of 2025 took salary cuts of more than 10% — the highest in at least 10 years. The share receiving similarly large raises is at its lowest point in the same period (3).

The white-collar job market is experiencing a grimmer reality that the low unemployment rate simply doesn’t capture.

In February, the U.S. economy shed 92,000 jobs (1). Companies like Atlassian and Block announced recent cuts, and Meta plans to remove 20% of its workforce, Business Insider reports (3,4).

The number of long-term unemployed (those out of work for at least 27 weeks) reached 1.9 million in August 2025, up 385,000 over the year, according to BLS data (5). Long-term unemployment now accounts for roughly a quarter of all unemployment, the highest share since February 2022.

The supply-demand imbalance explains much of it. In December, when Scott accepted his position, he was among 7.5 million unemployed Americans and just 6.6 million jobs. With that kind of competition, employers have gotten pickier — requiring more years of experience for open roles, particularly at the mid-career and senior levels, Revelio Labs found (3).

Read More: 5 essential money moves to make once you’ve saved $50,000

Here’s the personal finance reality that makes this more than just a labor market story: taking a significant pay cut doesn’t just hurt you now, but it can hurt you for years.

Economists call this wage scarring. Research from the IZA Institute found that workers who return from unemployment earn about 6% less than comparable workers who moved directly from one job to another, and that gap widens to roughly 14% by the fourth year (6).

The mechanism works in two ways. First, future raises build on your current salary — a lower floor means compounding less over time. Second, when you interview for your next role, employers typically base offers on what you’re currently earning. So, a pay cut today can reverberate through your earnings trajectory for years.

If you’re currently employed, the time to protect your position is before a layoff happens, not after. The job market that existed in 2021 and 2022 — where leverage sat firmly with employees — has shifted. Planning your finances as though a period of reduced income is a realistic possibility, rather than a remote one, is prudent (3).

Only 41% of U.S. workers feel their current pay is sufficient to sustain their lifestyle, and 59% report being uncomfortable with their level of emergency savings, according to BambooHR’s 2025 compensation trends survey (7). That gap becomes acute the moment income stops.

Building an emergency fund robust enough to cover three to six months of expenses is the clearest buffer against being forced into a desperation hire.

If you’re already in a job search, selectivity is a luxury fewer candidates can afford right now. But there are strategic ways to minimize wage scarring:

Negotiating title and promotion timelines, even when accepting a lower base, preserves the trajectory.

Contract and consulting roles, like the one Scott accepted, can keep income flowing while a better opportunity develops.

Lateral moves into growing sectors, like health care and technology infrastructure, tend to offer faster recovery paths than waiting in a weakening industry.

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Bureau of Labor Statistics (1), (5); Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (2); Business Insider (3), (4); IZA Institute (6); Bamboo HR (7)

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.