Multiple Job Offers Are Increasingly Common, Poll Shows

That’s how many people got at least four job offers in the last four months, the most since at least 2014, according to a new survey underscoring how good the job market is these days. 

The statistic, from March survey results released Monday, has more than tripled since the early days of the pandemic and is higher even than the more typical period before COVID-19 struck. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York has been surveying people about the labor market every four months since 2014. All told, 19.7% of those surveyed in March reported at least one job offer, the biggest share since the pandemic hit. 

The NY Fed poll, which covers people with jobs as well as those looking for work, shows workers continue to have leverage. The number of job openings was still at near record highs in February, and the average worker has been getting substantial pay raises (albeit not enough to keep up with inflation.) In fact, according to a separate survey by payroll company ADP, 70% of North American workers said they had considered a major career move at some point in the last year, including a temporary break, starting their own business, or changing industries, among other things.

The job market is so hot that some economists are watching for signs that pay hikes are contributing to the rampant price increases we’ve all been seeing at the grocery store, the gas pump, and just about everywhere else by adding to demand. 

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