If youve been jobseeking for a while, try freelancing, says recruiter [Video]

It has not been an easy year for jobseekers.

The hiring rate has significantly slowed since the pandemic, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and nearly a quarter, 23% of unemployed people have been looking for work for 27 weeks or longer.

If you’re one of the long-term unemployed and have been focused solely on applying for full-time work, Emily Levine, executive vice president at recruitment firm Career Group Companies, has a simple suggestion for 2025: “be really, really open to freelance and contract positions,” she says.

Here’s why.

There are many benefits to taking on a temporary role.

It’s a way of earning some income as you continue to look. Jobseeking can be a blow to the ego and freelancing can be a way of “keeping your self esteem high,” says Levine. It’s also a great way of opening up opportunities for full-time work.

“More and more often …