Dating in 2025 has been rough. According to articles, data, and personal narratives on social media, it seems that it’s never been more challenging to find a partner. But, according to a new report, when it comes to one qualification, daters may actually be lowering the bar.
Tawkify, a matchmaking service, surveyed 1,010 U.S. adults to find out how work-related trends are shaping modern dating. Turns out having a job is no longer a must-have for a growing number of romance seekers. These days, only 29% of daters say that unemployment is a red flag that would make them inclined to turn down a potential partner. Likewise, while living with one’s parents would’ve once been considered a major turnoff, nowadays, less than half of singles (42%) say it would be a deal-breaker.
The data seems to speak to just how financially tough times really are, which could lead to a small but important silver lining: a lot less judgment over potential partners not being gainfully employed. But the findings get even better for those who are unemployed but showing off their ambition in other ways. Nearly three in four employed people said they were open to dating someone who is unemployed as long as they have a “side hustle” or “a meaningful personal project.” And, well, who doesn’t?
Still, not having a job does change the way people date. Only one in three singles who is unemployed is actively looking for a partner after a job loss. A third say they’ve had to stop going on dates due to a job loss, and 25% say they’ve had to pivot to going on cheaper dates. Likewise, 65% say that not being able to afford dates, along with other pressing financial stressors, is the biggest challenge to dating after becoming unemployed. But losing a job is also a blow to dating confidence: 62% say they feel less desirable, and 52% experience anxiety about sharing that they are jobless on dates.
Interestingly, there’s a gender gap when it comes to how much having a job weighs on singles. Men largely feel that there is more of a stigma about being jobless: 68% of respondents say they feel there is a greater stigma about men who have been laid off than women, compared to only 5% who say the reverse is true. And the men may be spot on, as four times more men than women report being broken up with after a job loss.
Regardless, women feel more pressure to prove they are still ambitious. Overall, 36% of Americans say they feel pressure to prove they are still ambitious after becoming jobless, but women are more affected. Forty percent of women say they feel pressure to prove their worth, compared to only 29% of unemployed men who feel similarly.
Love may not pay the bills, but hey, at least paying the bills is no longer a requirement for finding love.