LinkedIn's inaugural "Year in Review," a feature similar to Spotify's Wrapped, has unintentionally highlighted the difficult job market for many users. The feature provides insights such as days spent on the platform, new connections made, and how many connections landed new jobs. This launch coincided with a four-year high in the nation's unemployment rate, increased layoffs, and a decline in new hires, marking 2025 as potentially the weakest hiring year since 2020. Some users expressed frustration on social media, humorously noting their own lack of job success in contrast to the statistics presented by LinkedIn, with one user lamenting being a top applicant for millions of jobs but landing none.
Despite the negative reactions stemming from the economic climate, LinkedIn's editor-in-chief, Dan Roth, stated that the "Year in Review" is intended to reflect a comprehensive professional year, including skill development, networking, and mutual support, not solely job seeking. On the platform itself, many users shared more positive experiences, celebrating new connections and professional network growth. However, this trend of year-end personal recaps from various companies, including LinkedIn, has also drawn criticism from some consumers who find them intrusive.