Job Seekers Pay Recruiters for Access

Job seekers are increasingly paying recruiters and placement services, the Wall Street Journal reports, with fees typically ranging from $500 to $5,000 for recruiter introductions and résumé help. The shift, driven by ATS filtering, applicant deluge per opening, and sector layoffs since late 2022, changes hiring incentives and raises ethical concerns about creating a two-tiered access system. Recruiters are experimenting with hybrid revenue models amid fee pressures.