44% of Employers Can't Fill Open Roles as Hiring Timelines Stretch

Hiring gaps reach three-year high

Employers are facing their worst hiring drought in nearly three years, with 44% of surveyed hiring managers reporting open positions they cannot fill, according to new research from Express Employment Professionals and Harris Poll. That figure marks a sharp increase from 36% just six months earlier and represents the highest unfilled-role rate since 2023.

The data reveals a paradox: hiring is taking longer, yet fewer candidates are making it through. More than one in five open roles are now being closed without any hire, and 43% of hiring managers say their process takes longer than it did two years ago. More than a quarter report timelines stretching to at least four weeks from résumé review to final decision. Meanwhile, the average number of interviews per candidate has dropped from five in early 2023 to four today.

Why it matters

This isn't just a talent shortage story—it's a process breakdown. When hiring timelines extend while interview counts shrink, organizations risk losing qualified candidates to faster competitors. The combination of automation friction and longer decision cycles suggests many companies are optimizing for the wrong metrics, prioritizing gatekeeping over speed-to-hire in a market where top talent moves quickly.

Job seekers report automation barriers

Candidates are encountering their own set of obstacles. Nearly one in three job seekers say automated screening systems make it difficult to feel heard during the application process. An equal share suspect some job postings exist solely to collect résumés rather than fill actual positions.

Qualification mismatches create additional friction from both directions. Twenty-eight percent of job seekers report that being overqualified works against them, while 22% say being underqualified does. Another 21% believe AI is directly taking positions that would otherwise be available to human workers.

Technology without human judgment creates bottlenecks

Bob Funk Jr., CEO, president and chairman of Express Employment International, acknowledged that technology can help streamline hiring but emphasized its limitations. "It delivers the greatest value when paired with thoughtful, human interaction," Funk said. "That makes communication more important than ever."

The research suggests that heavier automation and extended timelines are producing fewer successful hires rather than better ones. When processes lack clarity and timely communication, both employers and candidates struggle to assess fit effectively.

"When the process is clear and timely, employers can keep business moving, and candidates can better understand whether an opportunity is the right fit," Funk noted.

The findings point to a hiring system under strain on both sides, where the tools meant to improve efficiency may be creating new forms of friction. The details were first reported by HRD Connect Australia.