TopResume Editor 
NEW YORK (January 10, 2022) — Today, TopResume, the world's largest resume-writing service, announced the results of its Job Seeker Index for December 2021, marking the last month of data-gathering for the year since the company launched its inaugural index last April.
The TopResume Index of U.S. Job Seeker Sentiment, which tracks how job seekers are feeling about job-market conditions and overall job security, posted a small decline in December, coming in at 100 compared to 103 in November — an overall 2.91% decrease. Similarly, the Current Conditions Index (120) and Expectations Index (87) both dipped in December by 2.44% and 3.33%, respectively.
“While December's numbers were lower than those in November, the sentiment remains positive, as reflected in the overall Job Seeker Index, as well as the Current Conditions,” said Amanda Augustine, career expert for TopResume. “This ongoing optimism is somewhat unexpected, especially when considering that payrolls only rose by 199,000 — when expected job growth was more than twice that — and U.S. COVID cases surged to record highs as we headed into the holiday season.”
Of note: Similar to the results for August and October 2021, those who identified as “unemployed job seekers” are more optimistic about market conditions than their employed counterparts compared to April benchmarks, with scores of 100 and 98, respectively. Employed job seekers have been yo-yoing back and forth between scores of 98 and 102 since mid-summer.
Newcomers to the workforce — those with five years of experience or less — continue to be the most optimistic age group compared to April benchmarks, although their overall Index score fell by 5.61% to 101 compared to November's 107.
About the TopResume Job Seeker Index
The TopResume Index of U.S. Job Seeker Sentiment is conducted online within the United States. Since it was first calculated and benchmarked in April 2021, the survey has collected data from 14,593 adults who've identified as active job seekers in the United States. Respondents are randomly selected from among TopResume's site users each month to share their opinions on current conditions and future job market and workplace expectations, and the findings are at a 99% confidence level with margin of error +/-3%.
The TopResume Index of U.S. Job Seeker Sentiment was inspired by the University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index (UMCSENT) and has been computed using the same methodology. Scores of 100 or higher indicate an increase in positive sentiment compared to the April 2021 benchmarks, whereas sentiments of 99 or lower indicate an increase in negative sentiment compared to the benchmarks.
About TopResume
TopResume, a Talent Inc. company, is the world's premier resume-writing service, analyzing millions of resumes and LinkedIn profiles each year. Job seekers work directly with professional writers and industry experts to redefine their personal brand and stand out from the crowd during the job-search process. Follow TopResume on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram and visit TopResume to request a free confidential resume review.
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