美国劳动力市场走弱，使先前被视为不受欢迎的岗位出现应聘激增与流动率下降。以亚特兰大交通指挥岗位为例，两年前每周只有约10份申请，如今升至最多80份，尽管工作需在烈日或严寒下连续站立12小时且薪资偏低。类似趋势在其他低薪、体力密集型岗位出现：企业报告应征人数增加、离职率下降，反映求职者在机会减少的环境中被迫接受更艰苦工作。

该现象与整体就业放缓同步。随着高质量岗位增速减弱、招聘冻结增多，求职者转向传统上人员短缺的行业，包括交通引导、仓储、清洁与护理等部门。企业因此减少了过去为吸引员工而必须提供的奖金与激励措施，部分岗位的招聘压力显著缓解。对雇主而言，这意味着更稳定的人手配置，但对劳动者而言代表议价能力削弱。

尽管申请量上升，工作条件未改善：长时间户外暴露、单调重复劳动与有限晋升空间仍普遍存在。分析指出，这些岗位需求的改善并非经济健康的信号，而是高质量工作不足的副作用。随着职位选择减少，劳动者更愿意留在艰苦岗位上，形成短期稳定却潜在不可持续的劳动力结构变化。

The weakening US labor market has boosted applications and reduced turnover in jobs historically deemed undesirable. In Atlanta, traffic-flagging roles that once attracted about 10 weekly applicants now receive up to 80, despite 12-hour outdoor shifts in extreme heat or cold and low wages. Similar patterns are reported across other low-pay, labor-intensive sectors, where rising applicant pools and declining quit rates indicate workers accepting tougher jobs as opportunities shrink.

This shift coincides with a broader hiring slowdown. As growth in higher-quality positions cools and freezes increase, jobseekers pivot to occupations long plagued by shortages, including traffic control, warehousing, cleaning, and care work. Employers are reducing reliance on bonuses and incentives once needed to attract staff, and hiring pressure has eased. For firms, staffing stability is improving; for workers, bargaining power is weakening.

Despite rising interest, working conditions remain harsh: extended outdoor exposure, repetitive tasks, and limited advancement persist. Analysts note that stronger demand for such roles is not a sign of economic strength but a consequence of reduced access to better jobs. With fewer alternatives, workers stay longer in strenuous roles, creating short-term stability but potentially unsustainable labor-market dynamics.