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THE REALITY CHECK
It's trite but true: knowledge is power.
Knowing what the temperature is out in the job market prepares you more than you think. We're compiling the info and giving it to you straight.
Figures are reviewed periodically. Tap any source to verify the latest.
MARKET PULSE
July 2026
It's not you. It's the market. Here's the proof. (you're not imagining it)
31%
of June's announced layoffs were blamed on AI, the No. 1 reason four months running. Layoffs actually cooled in June (down 53% from May), and 2026's cuts are running about 40% below last year's.
~44 days
is a typical time to fill a role now. The silence after you apply is the process being slow, not a verdict on you.
14%
of postings are remote, but they pull 52% of all applications. Flexible roles draw a far bigger crowd, so cast wide.
27.5%
of people out of work have been searching 27+ weeks, about 2 million. A long search is common this cycle, not a personal failing.
Read it as weather, not a verdict. Plan for a longer race, protect your runway, and keep moving. The conditions are hard for everyone right now, and the people who plan around that are the ones who land.
LIVE DATA SOURCES
Challenger, Gray & Christmas: June 2026 Job Cuts Report
Bureau of Labor Statistics: Jobs Report
LinkedIn Workforce Report
SHRM Benchmarking: Time to Fill Data
WARN-ACT LAYOFF WATCH
Big employers must file public WARN notices about 60 days before a mass layoff: an early, public read on who's cutting next.
WHO'S CUTTING RIGHT NOW
The latest layoffs, as they're announced
Layoffs.fyi tracks cuts company by company in near real time: the clearest public read on where the next wave is landing.
Open the live tracker →
BY THE NUMBERS
Tap any stat for its source.
Unemployment benefits by state · maximum duration and waiting week
StateMax durationWaiting week
Alabama14–20 weeks, set by the state jobless rateOne unpaid waiting week
AlaskaUp to 26 weeks (based on your past wages)One unpaid waiting week
Arizona24–26 weeks, set by the state jobless rate (24 now)One unpaid waiting week
ArkansasUp to 12 weeksOne unpaid waiting week
CaliforniaUp to 26 weeksOne unpaid waiting week
ColoradoUp to 26 weeksOne unpaid waiting week
ConnecticutUp to 26 weeksOne unpaid waiting week
DelawareUp to 26 weeksOne unpaid waiting week
District of ColumbiaUp to 26 weeksOne unpaid waiting week
FloridaUp to 12 weeks (more in a severe downturn)One unpaid waiting week
Georgia14–26 weeks, set by the state jobless rate (about 14 now)No waiting week
HawaiiUp to 26 weeksOne unpaid waiting week
IdahoUp to 26 weeksOne unpaid waiting week
IllinoisUp to 26 weeksOne unpaid waiting week
IndianaUp to 26 weeksOne unpaid waiting week
IowaUp to 16 weeksNo waiting week
KansasUp to 26 weeksOne unpaid waiting week
Kentucky12–24 weeks, set by the state jobless rate (about 16 now)One unpaid waiting week
Louisiana12–20 weeks, set by the state jobless rateOne unpaid waiting week
MaineUp to 26 weeksOne unpaid waiting week
MarylandUp to 26 weeksNo waiting week
MassachusettsUp to 30 weeks now (26 standard; more when local jobless rates run high)One unpaid waiting week
MichiganUp to 26 weeksNo waiting week
MinnesotaUp to 26 weeksOne unpaid waiting week
MississippiUp to 26 weeksOne unpaid waiting week
MissouriUp to 20 weeks, set by the state jobless rateOne unpaid waiting week
MontanaUp to 24 weeksOne unpaid waiting week
NebraskaUp to 26 weeksOne unpaid waiting week
NevadaUp to 26 weeksNo waiting week
New HampshireUp to 26 weeksOne unpaid waiting week
New JerseyUp to 26 weeksNo waiting week
New MexicoUp to 26 weeksOne unpaid waiting week
New YorkUp to 26 weeksOne unpaid waiting week
North Carolina12–20 weeks, set by the state jobless rate (about 12 now)One unpaid waiting week
North DakotaUp to 26 weeks (based on your past wages)One unpaid waiting week
OhioUp to 26 weeksOne unpaid waiting week
OklahomaUp to 26 weeks, set by the state jobless rateOne unpaid waiting week
OregonUp to 26 weeksOne unpaid waiting week
PennsylvaniaUp to 26 weeksOne unpaid waiting week
Rhode IslandUp to 26 weeksOne unpaid waiting week
South CarolinaUp to 20 weeksOne unpaid waiting week
South DakotaUp to 26 weeksOne unpaid waiting week
Tennessee12–20 weeks, set by the state jobless rate (about 12 now)One unpaid waiting week
TexasUp to 26 weeksOne unpaid waiting week
UtahUp to 26 weeksOne unpaid waiting week
VermontUp to 26 weeksOne unpaid waiting week
VirginiaUp to 26 weeksOne unpaid waiting week
WashingtonUp to 26 weeksOne unpaid waiting week
West VirginiaUp to 26 weeksOne unpaid waiting week
WisconsinUp to 26 weeksOne unpaid waiting week
WyomingUp to 26 weeksOne unpaid waiting week

Compiled from each state's workforce agency; see the linked state page for the official portal, filing steps, and the date the entry was last reviewed. Durations shown are the state's regular maximum; your own award depends on your work history.

Sources are linked throughout; verify the latest there. This page is informational only.