Amid an uncertain economy, US job seekers prioritize pay, job security and engagement, according to Aerotek’s Job Seeker Survey released today.

When deciding whether to accept a job, 40.6% of job seekers cited pay as their top motivator, followed by job security at 19.7% and opportunities to learn new skills at 11.5%.

All three figures mark an increase from year-ago levels of 36.5%, 14.3% and 13.9%, respectively.

Other motivators include the potential for career advancement, a positive or supportive company culture, challenging or interesting work, the starting date and that the job is helpful to society.

Despite rising wages, 47.6% of workers have mostly negative feelings about their financial situation, 33.6% feel the same as they did in 2023 and only 18.8% feel better.

Inflation and economic uncertainty may be negating wage gains. Among 486 respondents who received a raise last year, 35% feel worse about their financial situation, 36% feel the same and 29% feel better.

The survey also found that engagement is a priority for job seekers, with 73.2% reporting that engaging with coworkers improves their feelings about a job and 69.2% saying they are more likely to stay at a job that promotes social connections. 

While the number of available jobs remains high, 13.8% of job seekers expect to complete more than 100 job applications, up from 10% in 2023.

Additionally, 59% of job seekers feel the job search experience has slowed down.

The economy was identified as the top challenge in the job search by 56% of job seekers. Despite this economic apprehension, 58% of job seekers remain optimistic about securing quality employment.

The online survey includes responses from 1,433 job seekers who applied for work this year. It was conducted between April 22 and May 3.