In the 1980s and 1990s, we routinely received 100-200 paper applications for each job opening we had – and these were for software development positions.
100-200 applicants for each job opening is common at large corporations while an analysis of small businesses finds 20-50 applications per opening.
The number of applicants per job opening has increased due to “one click” job application sites, enabling applying to multiple companies simultaneously, and that almost all job applications today are electronic – no need to print and mail a resume, as was done not long ago.
About 20+% of jobs today are “remote” (versus about 6% pre-pandemic) – remote jobs receive even more applications per job opening.
The effect is each job opening receives even more applications than the past – it does not mean the job market is worse and should not be used as a proxy for the challenge of finding a job.
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