Almost 70% of 2021 Job Applications Were Made from Mobile Devices

More job seekers in the U.S. are applying for jobs in the same way they shop for products and services online — through their mobile device.

During 2021, 67% of job applications were completed on mobile devices, according to a report by Appcast. In 2019, only 51% of job applications were completed that way, the company said.

The data were among the findings of Appcast’s 2022 Recruitment Marketing Benchmark Report, which examined job advertising data from nearly 1,200 U.S. employers.

Last year was “one of the most challenging years for recruiters in recent history,” the report observed. “A perfect storm of fierce competition for talent and a pandemic-induced lull in labor supply made recruiting a lot more expensive.”

Significant Sectors

The report found that mobile apply rates increased across the board but were especially significant in several sectors. For example, 86% of applications for gig-type jobs (such as delivery drivers and ride-sharing apps) were submitted on a mobile device.

Other top industries for mobile applications include manufacturing (78%), hospitality (77%), transportation (77%), warehousing and logistics (77%) and food service (74%).

“Mobile applications surpassed desktop applications for the first time in 2020. From 2020 to 2021, there was a 13.8% decrease in desktop application rates,” the report said. .

Meanwhile, the costs involved with recruiting have risen sharply, the report found. During 2021, the median cost per application rose a “dramatic” 43%, from $19.96 to $28.47. Costs per click rose even more – 54%, from $0.71 to $1.10. The impact of those dollars isn’t clear: Median apply rates were nearly flat, rising just 3%, from 3.93% to 4.05%.

Not surprisingly, the dynamics that led to the Great Resignation are behind the increase in costs, as job seekers became picky and employers came to understand they’d need to spend more money on advertising if they wanted to land the best candidates.

By Solomon O.

Solomon is a staff writer for RecruitingDaily and The HCM Technology Report.