Around 80% of workers feel unprepared for the job hunt in 2026, new LinkedIn research finds.
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Artificial intelligence could be something of a game changer for recruiters as firms continue to be inundated with job applications, according to one LinkedIn executive.
Janine Chamberlin, LinkedIn’s U.K. country manager, told CNBC Make It in an interview that AI will be a “critical part of how hiring is done in 2026,” as it speeds up processes.
“Last year was the year of experimentation and companies and professionals taking their first steps. 2026 is the year of more widespread adoption of AI tools, particularly in hiring,” she said.
AI can help recruiters speed up manual tasks such as going through very high volumes of applications and sifting through resumes and cover letters to find the right skills for a job.
“We’ve heard from 60% of recruiters that AI is helping them to find what they would call a ‘hidden gem’ talent — so people that they would have, in their manual search, overlooked, but actually AI is surfacing that as a candidate that is a good match for a specific job, because it can look very specifically at those skills so critically important to do it well,” Chamberlin said.
The job market has been rough for both employers and professionals as widespread layoffs dominate headlines and professionals face intense competition for jobs.
Over 1 million job cuts were announced in the U.S. in 2025, the highest level since the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, according to data from consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.
Meanwhile, the number of applications per role have skyrocketed, making it difficult for employers to respond quickly to applications. In fact, new Linkedin research finds that U.S. applicants per open role have doubled since the spring of 2022.
Chamberlin said this is creating an overwhelming cycle in the job market that is difficult for both job seekers and recruiters to handle.
“The job search is tougher right now, because what we are seeing is that there’s such a high volume of applications for each role that there is available. So, if I’m a job seeker, I’m applying to lots of roles. On the flip side, there’s companies recruiters who are receiving lots of applications.
“Companies are finding it hard to filter through these applications quickly enough to find people with the right skill set for the jobs that they’re hiring for. And the job seeker on the other side of that is waiting to hear back from companies whilst getting increasingly anxious because they might not be hearing back,” Chamberlin said.
The anxious job seeker then goes and applies to more roles to increase their chances of getting a job, continuing the cycle.
Chamberlin says AI is a “big part of the solution,” with 93% of recruiters planning to increase their use of AI in 2026, per the LinkedIn research.
Avoid sending generic applications
The start of the new year typically brings an influx of new job openings and motivated job seekers. However, as AI becomes central to hiring, many professionals are rethinking how to navigate the job market.
LinkedIn’s global research, which surveyed 19,000 respondents globally, including from the U.K, U.S., France, Germany and Australia, found that 80% of workers feel unprepared for the job hunt in 2026 and nearly two-thirds feel that the job search has become more challenging.
Chamberlin advised tailoring applications and to avoid mass-applying with generic cover letters, as AI is now often the first to review a job application.
It’s important to “be targeted” when crafting your resume and cover letter. “Applying for roles that genuinely match your skills will always outperform sending lots of generic applications, for both AI and for humans,” she said.
Chamberlin said that using AI can help make your application more succinct as it can identify where you’re not highlighting the skills you need for a particular job.
“In an AI-driven job market, clarity is key,” she said. “If you can make sure that your skills are highlighted very clearly on your resume, on the cover letter, on your LinkedIn profile, naturally, I think that’s what’s really going to help you stand out.”
Finally, Chamberlin suggested prioritizing simple formats and to avoid overly stylistic templates as it can be confusing to read for AI.
