• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Erin Brockovich, the activist who defeated a utility giant and inspired a Julia Roberts film, is pushing data centers to be more transparent

2

The Iran conflict has disrupted oil supply. Gulf states are now looking to multi-billion-dollar investments in renewables 

3

Social Security unraveling: 7,100 workers sacked, performance metrics retired, disability claims falling

1

Erin Brockovich, the activist who defeated a utility giant and inspired a Julia Roberts film, is pushing data centers to be more transparent

2

The Iran conflict has disrupted oil supply. Gulf states are now looking to multi-billion-dollar investments in renewables 

3

Social Security unraveling: 7,100 workers sacked, performance metrics retired, disability claims falling
SuccessGreat Resignation

It could be time to stop job hopping and buckle up at a company where you can survive a major downturn

Megan Leonhardt
By
Megan Leonhardt
Megan Leonhardt
Down Arrow Button Icon
Megan Leonhardt
By
Megan Leonhardt
Megan Leonhardt
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 7, 2022, 7:00 AM ET
now hiring ad in a store window
Despite the recent news of layoffs, job seekers shouldn't immediately panic. Spencer Platt—Getty Images

This week’s business news headlines might have job-seekers worrying that the hot market could be cooling. The Federal Reserve hiked interest rates. The Dow and Nasdaq continued to fall after a cruel April. And there’s a lot of buzz in Silicon Valley that hiring is slowing and more layoffs are on the horizon. Oh, and don’t forget about all that recession talk.

In this game of musical chairs, where employees are hopping from job to job in search of the best pay and benefits package, is the music about to stop? Should we all be grabbing a seat and holding on tight so we don’t find ourselves without a chair when the next downturn comes?

Experts say it’s not time to panic—yet.

Yes, the U.S. is starting to see some changes in the economy—and in the labor market—due to changes in consumer behavior as the pandemic recedes and the Fed starts to raise interest rates, says PNC Chief Economist Gus Faucher. 

But these are the “normal sorts of ebbs and flows that we see during expansions—not an indication of imminent recession,” Faucher tells Fortune. “I wouldn’t read too much into individual company announcements.” 

In fact, U.S. employers added 428,000 jobs in April, according to the latest data released Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That might not be as jaw-dropping as some of the monthly job numbers seen earlier in the recovery, but it still depicts a strong labor market, says Diane Swonk, chief economist for the accounting and consulting firm Grant Thornton.

Overall, there’s continued job and wage growth, unemployment benefit claims are still near record lows, and the overall unemployment rate is below 4%—all indicators that things are still very good for American workers, Faucher says. 

So for now, the job market is still hot. Those who have been laid off will easily find new jobs, particularly among well qualified or highly skilled workers, argues Mark Hamrick, Bankrate.com senior economic analyst. 

The ratio of job openings to workers remains at 1.8, matching the second highest on record. “That means quit rates will remain elevated,” Swonk tells Fortune. The U.S. needs to see a “much more dramatic blow to the demand for workers,” which is more than 60% above the pre-crisis peak of February 2020, before quit rates drop significantly, she says.

Another factor driving all the job-hopping is that workers who take new roles are more likely to see higher pay, Hamrick says. “I would expect the job market to remain quite dynamic at least in the near-term and as long as the unemployment rate is at historically low levels.” 

Still, while there are lots of good opportunities out there for people looking for new roles, Faucher says he expects job-hopping is going to slow over the rest of this year. “People have moved into jobs that are better fits, and so the opportunities for improvement going forward will be more limited,” he says. 

The Fed’s drive to lower inflation may also keep more people in their seats, with Fed Chair Jerome Powell acknowledging the ride was “not gonna be pleasant.” Rate hikes will push borrowing rates much higher—and that could cause more companies to tighten their belts. And there’s potential this could have an impact on Silicon Valley, where some experts are concerned that higher interest rates might mean lower funding rounds. The days of free-flowing capital could be ending. Then again, as Jacob Carpenter reported in Thursday’s Data Sheet, “fears of a bubble bursting are likely unfounded.”

Still, it’s arguably better to be over prepared, as the leverage workers have now may not last past this year. And since no one wants to be the “last one hired,” job seekers may want to make sure they’re looking for a stable position. “For most adults, the focus should be on the long-term potential for a job, but that’s always the case,” Faucher says.

Sign up for the Fortune Features email list so you don’t miss our biggest features, exclusive interviews, and investigations.

About the Author
Megan Leonhardt
By Megan Leonhardt
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Success

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Success

Dan Peyovich
Future of WorkCOO Summit
Data center CEO is hoping for a skilled-trades revival in his lifetime—he’s recruiting couch-dwelling Gen Z with two weeks of vacation on day one
By Preston ForeJune 2, 2026
4 hours ago
Jason Kidd
ConferencesCOO Summit
Chipotle COO calls hiring one of the ‘most painful processes’—so his AI bot ‘Ava Cado’ cut it from 12 days to 4
By Preston ForeJune 2, 2026
7 hours ago
Mark Cuban put $500K into a stranger’s rocket company over email. It’s now a SpaceX competitor worth $4 billion
Startups & VentureMark Cuban
Mark Cuban put $500K into a stranger’s rocket company over email. It’s now a SpaceX competitor worth $4 billion
By Sydney LakeJune 2, 2026
7 hours ago
Teenager working in ice cream shop
SuccessJobs
Teens are up against the worst summer job market in nearly 80 years—they’re fighting against hundreds to work at ice cream shops and swimming pools
By Emma BurleighJune 2, 2026
10 hours ago
Meet America’s ‘Disillusioned’: the 32% feeling betrayed and rejecting the establishment—and they’re not who you think
EconomyRetirement
Meet America’s ‘Disillusioned’: the 32% feeling betrayed and rejecting the establishment—and they’re not who you think
By Nick Lichtenberg and Catherina GioinoJune 2, 2026
16 hours ago
He sent out 3,200 résumés and got zero job offers in the 2008 crash. Now Outdoor Boys’ Luke Nichols is telling grads how he survived
SuccessCareer Advice
He sent out 3,200 résumés and got zero job offers in the 2008 crash. Now Outdoor Boys’ Luke Nichols is telling grads how he survived
By Sydney LakeJune 2, 2026
18 hours ago

Most Popular

Erin Brockovich, the activist who defeated a utility giant and inspired a Julia Roberts film, is pushing data centers to be more transparent
Environment
Erin Brockovich, the activist who defeated a utility giant and inspired a Julia Roberts film, is pushing data centers to be more transparent
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJune 1, 2026
1 day ago
The Iran conflict has disrupted oil supply. Gulf states are now looking to multi-billion-dollar investments in renewables 
Energy
The Iran conflict has disrupted oil supply. Gulf states are now looking to multi-billion-dollar investments in renewables 
By Melissa HancockJune 1, 2026
1 day ago
Social Security unraveling: 7,100 workers sacked, performance metrics retired, disability claims falling
North America
Social Security unraveling: 7,100 workers sacked, performance metrics retired, disability claims falling
By Katie Savin, Callie Freitag, Matthew Borus and The ConversationJune 2, 2026
11 hours ago
Cognizant CEO is swimming against the tide on AI: he's hiring over 20,000 graduates this year and says AI tokenmaxxing is a 'vanity metric'
Conferences
Cognizant CEO is swimming against the tide on AI: he's hiring over 20,000 graduates this year and says AI tokenmaxxing is a 'vanity metric'
By Preston ForeJune 1, 2026
1 day ago
'Where we are today is frightening': a Pulitzer-winning historian sees a doomsday scenario involving China and the national debt
Banking
'Where we are today is frightening': a Pulitzer-winning historian sees a doomsday scenario involving China and the national debt
By Nick LichtenbergJune 2, 2026
14 hours ago
Current price of oil as of June 1, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 1, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 1, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.