Survey Shows Career Gaps Rising: This Job Interview Strategy Can Help

Forbes

15-05-2025

Do you have a career gap in your employment history? You are not alone. According to new analysis of over 27 million résumés, from 2020 to 2025, over 50% of workers reported at least a one month gap, and 58% of workers have a gap of six months or longer. According to experts at LiveCareer.com, the steady increase in layoffs - especially for office workers and middle management - has created a 'white collar recession', leaving job seekers struggling to address the gaps. For example, in 2025, the percentage of job seekers with no career gaps dropped to less than half. That's a decrease of 9% versus 2020, showing that long-term employment without breaks is becoming rarer. So how do you talk about a career gap in your work history, in the interview?
As AI advancements continue, layoffs are making headlines. Recently, Microsoft announced a reduction in force of 3%, affecting over 6,000 jobs at the company. In the federal government, the New York Times reports that over 120,000 employees, with plans to layoff over 280,000 federal workers and contractors across 27 agencies. Senior Contributor Jack Kelly reports that the tech sector is leading the way in terms of hardest-hit industries, with retail, management consulting and logistics laying off hundreds of thousands of workers.
Analysis of career gaps, from 27 million resumes.
LiveCareer
When companies are reducing jobs, many are making their own opportunities through the gig economy. Freelance work, short-term contracts, on-demand jobs: these areas have grown significantly during the past 10 years. In 2025, according to Burnett Specialists (a Houston-based personnel services firm), gig workers will make up nearly 50% of the U.S. workforce, reflecting a broader shift toward flexible and project-based employment models. If gig work or a layoff is part of your work history, you're in good company. Remember, sometimes bad corporate decisions happen to good people.
There are three things that an employer wants to know, if you have gaps in your résumé:
In my work with hundreds of executives, entrepreneurs, engineers, writers, aspiring leaders and others, we've worked through the career gap conversation. Even if your career gap was just due to 'looking for work', there's a story in there somewhere. Your first job is to find it. Focusing on how you used your time to invest in yourself (or in your family) is the narrative.
Employers value upskilling. In fact, in the skills-based economy, many employers are saying that skills and experience matter more than a college degree. How did you continue to learn, during your journey? Experience can be a great teacher!
It's easy to feel like you are being grilled on the witness stand when employers start asking about career gaps. But every gap is an opportunity - beginning with an opportunity to reframe how you view (and describe) your work history. A great story is always a story of discovery. A lull in your work history doesn't have to be a negative, if you understand how to turn what you discovered into what you can do for your employer.
Imagine that a good friend, who is known for having a very impressive personal network, invited you over for a dinner party. 'I'm having a chef come and cook for us,' your friend explains. 'And the chef is Gordon Ramsay.'
How much more explanation do you need?
But if that same friend says, 'The chef is my brother-in-law, and uh…well… he just got out of maximum security prison last month. Yeah….well…and…uh…He's never gone to culinary school, or taken any classes, but he says he want to try something called 'creme brulée'. So, uh, yeah…like, do you want to come?"
Even if you love creme brulée, what's your choice?
In the job interview, shorter responses are better. There's no shame and no blame in saying, 'I was laid off.' That's a common occurrence, not a cardinal sin. Consider other reasons for gaps, including child care concerns, the death of a loved one, travel to a foreign country, your division was eliminated…the list goes on.
In the job interview conversation, it's wise to remember (with confidence) the fact that experiments never fail. You don't have to be a scientist to know that every experiment informs, even if it didn't turn out the way you planned. Regardless of the outcome, it's what you learn that makes a difference. A career gap is just a fact of life not a death sentence for your career.
Whatever your personal journey, the successful narrative focuses on what you discovered. If you've got Gordon Ramsay, you know you don't need a long story about what's on the menu. What if your career gap isn't that big of a deal? I'm not saying that it doesn't matter, I'm just asking you to consider a new way of looking at what you've learned - and exploring your values. What if you touch on your career gap, and move towards the values and circumstances that led you to the decision, and what you discovered because of it?
For me, something that doesn't show up on my LinkedIn profile is my work as a professional stuntman. That's right - and, if you've read my posts before, you know that I still do all of my own stunts. True, I've been a corporate executive, Fortune 100 marketing leader, business coach to thousands, always a snappy dresser…but also, a professional stuntman. When people know that part of my past, somehow it's more interesting than the books I've written or the clients I've coached.
It's easy to feel insecure about that weird outlier in my past. Because it's easy to interpret curiosity as judgement. And maybe it is! But there's insight inside of the experience, if you stick around to explore it.
Working as a stuntman (with pyrotechnics, motorcycles, and fake fights where you could get punched in the throat) taught me something about managing risk. I understand how preparation leads to success in a way that many other folks don't. What you may call a career gap, or an outlier, is actually an opportunity to discuss what I learned - and bring that experience to bear for my clients today.
Especially for those who are nervous or insecure about their work history. (It always makes me wonder what stunt show they were in). You see, having unique experiences doesn't have to be a detriment in the job interview process. Your experiences are what make you unique! If you did what you had to do, and it led to a gap in employment, talk about your determination, your emphasis on family, your willingness to work hard (even if it wasn't necessarily in the world of work). The reasons why you have gaps or unusual elements in your history isn't as important as what you learned from the experience.
Remember, the job interview questions might focus on your experience…but what people really want to know is: how can you help us? In your job interview conversation, focus on the power inside the word 'because'. Simon Sinek says to Start with Why, but 'because' is the key to describing your career gaps. It's because of your experience, and because of your challenges, that you discovered how to be of greater service to your next employer. The way you tell your story, using 'because', will help you to frame that service and move past that career gap.