India, Aug. 21 -- After more than a year of searching for a new job, Kristy Layden was ready for a change. The 45-year-old had spent years working in corporate roles, but repeated applications brought little success. Eventually, she decided to leave the corporate world behind and return to school to become a nurse.

Layden, from Frisco, Texas, lost her job as a senior manager in e-commerce and fulfilment at a large retailer in early 2025. She spent more than a year looking for another role, but the prolonged search left her exhausted. "It was becoming a recurring theme," she told CNBC Make It, referring to seeing people in her professional network announcing layoffs.

Layden initially looked for roles in product management, before widenin...