Visits to the 100 most popular U.S. job search websites rose 10% year over year in September as job seekers face a tougher labor market reshaped by AI, Forbes reported Oct. 24.
The sites drew 661.2 million web visits in September, almost 60 million more than the 602.1 million recorded in September 2025, according to data from market intelligence firm Similarweb cited by Forbes.
Indeed was the most visited job site, with more than 166 million visits in September, followed by ZipRecruiter and Greenhouse. A Similarweb editor told Forbes that projected October data points to a 10.5% year-over-year increase.
Applicants are also sending out more applications. LinkedIn users now submit 30% more applications on average than they did before the pandemic, according to LinkedIn data shared with Forbes. Web visits to LinkedIn rose more than 9% year over year in September. Greenhouse CEO Daniel Chait told the outlet that companies on the platform are seeing 20% more applications than a year ago, with an average of 270 applicants per open role.
The surge could be driven by a combination of a tough labor market and advances in AI, according to Brad Hershbein, senior economist at the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research. AI has made it easier to apply for jobs, which increases the number of applications employers must review and gives them a greater incentive to screen out candidates with AI tools, creating a cycle that repeats, he told Forbes.
Public confidence in the job market has also fallen. In a Pew Research Center survey published Oct. 8, 48% of respondents said they are very concerned about job seekers being unable to find work, up from 29% in 2021.
Healthcare hiring, by comparison, has continued to grow. The sector added 41,600 jobs in October, up from 17,900 in September and above its average monthly gain of 31,000. As a result, hospitals and health systems may see more of that application volume reach their own applicant tracking systems.
For health system leaders, the trend may bring both opportunities and challenges. A larger applicant pool may make some nonclinical and entry-level roles easier to fill, particularly as early-career workers face the brunt of the hiring slowdown, according to Mr. Hershbein. However, a higher volume of applications may not translate into more qualified candidates. Recruiters may need to spend more time reviewing resumes from applicants who applied broadly, and AI screening tools used to manage that volume may cause some strong candidates to be screened out.
The increase in applicants may also do little to fill healthcare’s hardest-to-staff roles, many of which require clinical licenses. Clinical retention remains costly: The national RN turnover rate rose to 17.6% in 2025, and replacing one full-time registered nurse cost $60,090.
