How to Find a Job During a Recession

Anything that creates a shock to the economy can lead to a recession, which is defined as a fall in GDP (gross domestic product) for two consecutive quarters.

Short-term declines can also put pressure on the jobs market, even if they do not last for two quarters.

Examples of economic shocks from the 21st century so far include:

• The closure of the New York Stock Exchange during the September 11th terrorist attacks in 2001.
• The long and deep recession that started in 2007-08 with the sub-prime lending crisis and the ‘credit crunch’ that followed.
• The large drop in economic activity during the COVID-19 pandemic, in countries that went into lockdown in the first half of 2020.

You can see that the root causes of these events are very different – either political, economic or health-related – but any time economic activity drops, it can bring about a fall in employment levels too.

So when a recession hits, how can you make sure your CV is top of the pile? And how do you find jobs to apply for in the first place?

First, think about your priorities – during a period of higher unemployment, it can be sensible to look for a job that gives you what you need, rather than what you want.

That might mean you prioritise jobs that cover your monthly outgoings on rent, mortgage and other bills, even if the salary is not quite as high as you would normally hope for.

You might also prioritise jobs that are hiring immediately, so that you can start to get some money into the bank as soon as possible.

However, there is nothing wrong with looking for work in your ideal sector, your preferred geographical location, or even targeting specific companies you would like to work for.

Even during a recession, there are always new vacancies coming on to the jobs market, and by approaching employers with a dynamic attitude, you stand a good chance of regaining employment relatively quickly.

If time is of the essence, focus your job search on vacancies advertised for an immediate start – there are often more opportunities of this kind during a fast-moving recession as companies look to strengthen their position too.

By focusing on companies that are hiring now, you can actually turn your own unemployed status into an advantage over other applicants, who might have a minimum notice period to work before they can leave their existing role.

Glassdoor’s Hiring Surge alerts help you find companies hiring now. We monitor the jobs market to spot when specific skills, locations and employers start to spike.

By applying for these opportunities at their peak, you tilt the balance of supply and demand in your favour and increase your chance of a successful application.

During a recession this is even more important, as there are likely to be many more people out of work, so much more demand for each available vacancy.

Glassdoor job alerts can keep you ahead of that crowd, so each time an employer in your area advertises a relevant job, you’re one of the first to know about it.

To set up a job alert, just run a search on Glassdoor for the job title and location you want, then scroll down in the results, enter your email address and tap the ‘Create Job Alert’ button.

We’ll take care of the rest, by emailing you when we find a matching vacancy so you can make sure yours is one of the first applications the employer receives.

You’re always in full control of your job alerts, so if your circumstances change, you can cancel any future emails or change the search terms to suit your new situation.

The Coronavirus pandemic in the first half of 2020 was unusual in terms of its economic impact. Some sectors, such as hospitality, were almost completely shut down, while others like food retail saw a surge in sales.

Some of the jobs in demand due to COVID-19 included:

• Healthcare workers
• Essential retail
• Home delivery drivers

With essential supply chains under threat due to a large number of workers self-isolating, many of those out of work from other sectors moved into roles to produce, sell and deliver essentials to customers in supermarkets or direct to their door.

It’s clear to see why healthcare workers were also in demand, but this is not unusual during a political or economic recession either – a decline in economic activity does not stop people from getting sick, even when there is not a global pandemic.

Some office jobs can perform well in turbulent economic times too. For example, some companies will put more focus on marketing as they look to win more business, which can lead to an increase in in-house marketing vacancies.

You may also notice an increase in temporary roles, including interim positions and fixed-term contracts, especially during a health pandemic like COVID-19 when a larger proportion of permanent staff are likely to be absent from work at any one time.

If you find yourself out of work during a health-related recession, it might be worth considering more interim vacancies, even if you would ordinarily only look for permanent positions.

One interesting feature of the Coronavirus pandemic has been the shift towards more flexible working practices, for example:

• Flexible hours
• Freelancing
• Interim/emergency cover
• Shared roles
• Working from home

We have collected together some useful information on our COVID-19 resource page, which includes the latest advertised vacancies, as well as links to our blog posts looking at how the pandemic affected the type of jobs available during the spring and into the second half of 2020.

In particular, the terms of the government-imposed lockdown meant that anyone who could work from home was asked to do so, the first time remote working has been made the default option in the UK.

This means it is much more likely that you will find flexible roles advertised in the future, as many more companies have discovered the benefits of allowing employees to work from home, choose their own working hours, or share their role with one or more colleagues.

Look out for job advertisements for flexible positions. For example, you can include terms like ‘freelance’ and ‘contractor’ in your search, if you want to limit your results to outsourced work rather than in-house vacancies.

A flexible approach is sensible in a recession for the reasons already mentioned above, as the supply of available workers may be higher than the demand for employees – so again, be smart about the terms of employment that you’re willing to consider at such times.

Remember your CV is not a static document. You can continue to update your CV, identify any gaps in your skills and experience, and work to fill in those gaps so employers have fewer reasons to reject your application.

If you’re spending more time at home due to social distancing guidelines, consider studying an online course that leads to a recognised qualification in your industry or profession.

Or if you work in a creative discipline, dedicate some time to building your portfolio, so you have even more to show recruiters when you apply for paid work in the future.

This has the added benefit of showing potential employers that you did not waste any time while you were out of work, but instead put the effort into improving your skills.

At a time when some other applicants may have been sitting around at home doing nothing, this is one more way to stand out – so make sure it’s a dealmaker, and not a dealbreaker.

Some of the ways you can make good use of the time you have available include:

• Build your personal portfolio in a creative discipline.
• Consider branching out into a broader career path.
• Study for a relevant qualification to add to your CV.
• Take on short-term ‘gig work’ and interim roles for the experience.
• Volunteer for relevant unpaid work, if you can afford to do so.

Getting work in a recession is about making yourself as employable as possible, while also broadening your options to allow you to take on whatever work is available, whether that means working in a slightly different role in your local area, or looking for remote working opportunities from further afield.

Let’s summarise the main points from above. When you need a job in a recession, steps you can take to get work include:

1. Understand the cause of the recession and its effects on the jobs market.
2. List your own priorities and use them to shape your job search.
3. Consider interim roles, remote working and other flexible jobs.
4. Set up relevant job alerts and check surge alerts for emerging opportunities.
5. Look for jobs that start immediately, so you can start earning sooner.
6. Find out what sectors are doing well and any jobs that are in high demand.
7. Work to improve your CV with relevant experience and qualifications.
8. Don’t waste time – show employers you are enthusiastic and motivated.
9. Think about alternatives like voluntary work and building your personal portfolio.
10. Find useful information like our COVID-19 resource page and check it regularly.

A recession is a time of change, so your route back into employment is likely to be different depending on your personal circumstances, and on the progress of the recession itself.

For example, at the start of a recession, you might consider any paid work available to you. Later on, you might start to look for long-term or permanent opportunities that are a closer match for your career goals.

When unemployment is high, you can’t necessarily increase demand from employers, but you can make sure you are a good match for the demand that’s already out there.

Ultimately this can help you to compete against the larger number of other people who are also looking for work, and can be a crucial differentiating factor when you are up against many other applicants, either in a stack of CVs and covering letters, or at the interview stage.

Finally, remember some techniques to find work hold true in a recession and in a booming economy, so don’t forget the basics:

• Edit your CV for each application, to prioritise the most relevant information.
• Keep cover letters short and to the point – don’t waste the employer’s time.
• Research roles and the companies that offer them. Have an answer ready for the question “Why do you want to work for us?”

And stay positive. It might take longer to land a job during a recession, but if you do all the right things, you will find paid employment in some form, even if it is only a temporary solution until the economic storm has passed.