You know that sensation when something feels off, but you might’t quite put your finger on it?
That’s thestate of workfor many people right now.
So if you’re a little uneasy about the job market, you’re not alone.
The economy’s felt like the other shoe is about to drop for quite some time now.
But now, thebad vibes are back.
Workers are not feeling great about the labor market or their own jobs.
Consumer sentimenthas been on the downswing recently, in part because people are feeling queasy about work.
She added that people are beginning to say they’re more worried about their family financial situations, too.
“We are at the point where they may start changing their behavior.”
Even high-income consumers are worried about their situations.
“People are not going to be comfortable doing that if they’re perceiving weaknesses throughout the economy.”
On paper, the labor market remains quite solid.
Or, they’re worried that they’ll get swept up in the next round of cuts.
There’s a constant sense of whiplash across many parts of the economy and politics.
What’s happening withtariffsseems to change daily.
Announcements of mass government firings andconfusing reinstatementsare happening constantly.
“Everybody hates uncertainty, whether you’re talking about executives down to front-line workers,” Zhao said.
There’s a level of paralysis amid the chaos.
With so much instability, many workers and businesses feel like they have no choice but to stay put.
“Everybody’s just kind of frozen, waiting and seeing.”
Some of the worker sentiments and anxieties are notthatdifferent from, say, 2023 or 2024.
There’s long been a subtle recognition that nothing lasts forever, including an extra-worker-friendly jobs market.
The vibes have been off for a few years now.
But the economists I spoke with said that something distinct is happening that may make things different.
Instead of gesturing broadly at the state of things, workers are specifically negative about their personal outlooks.
The level of uncertainty in the economy is palpable.
“Employees do feel pretty uncertain about the future,” Zhao said.
Berger emphasized that just because workers feel worse doesn’t mean they’re right that things actually are worse.
If I had to guess, it’s going to be an incremental worsening."
For workers who are on edge, the idea of incremental worsening isn’t especially heartening.
The next time you run into the CEO, tell them you like their shoes or something.
Update: This story has been updated to include the numbers from the April 2025 jobs report.
Emily Stewartis a senior correspondent at Business Insider, writing about business and the economy.
