As workers grow more vocal about finding fulfilling jobs they can do without working much overtime—a practice that has been called “quiet quitting” or “anti-hustle”—many job seekers are closely examining job postings for commonly used phrases they view as red flags for potential overwork. Phrases that turn off job seekers include “must handle stress well” and “willing to wear many hats,” according to a survey of 800 job seekers by Paychex Inc. Some workers say that “we’re like a family” can read as code for being subject to verbal abuse, and descriptions touting perks such as free meals and on-site entertainment can indicate bosses will expect employees to put in long hours.

In reviews of employers by workers posting on Glassdoor, the terms “self-starter” and “hustle” came up in more negative comments than positive ones, according to a Glassdoor analysis. However, companies seem to be using those two terms in more job postings lately, according to Indeed.com. The term “fast-paced” used in job ads doubled between 2019 and 2022, Indeed noted.

Sixty-three percent of U.S. small-business owners are halting hiring, according to a survey of 5,618 small businesses by small-business network Alignable Inc. Of those, about 49% said they were looking for workers earlier in the year but stopped because of high payroll expenses, recession fears, and reduced revenue. In July, only 45% said they were pausing hiring. About 58% of small businesses said their total payroll costs are at least 50% more than prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. About 10% of small-business owners said they are cutting staff, up from 4% in July.

The percentage of small- and midsize-business owners feeling pessimistic inched up to 7% in the summer compared with 2% in the spring, according to a survey by PNC Bank. But 49% of owners still described themselves as highly optimistic. Nearly seven in 10 owners (69%) said they fear a recession is likely within the next year. Recruiters said the hiring market for top talent will remain intense, according to a survey by Employ Inc. About 69% said attracting and hiring talent will be difficult for the remainder of 2022, while more than half said there is not enough quality talent to fill current jobs.

There is little evidence to suggest teacher turnover has increased nationwide or educators are leaving in droves. Many schools have struggled to find enough educators, but the challenges are related more to hiring, especially for nonteaching staff jobs. The number of people employed in public schools dropped from almost 8.1 million in March 2020 to 7.3 million in May, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment has grown to 7.7 million since then, but that still leaves schools short around 360,000 employees.

Quit rates in education rose slightly this year, but that’s true for the nation as a whole, and teachers remain far more likely to stay in their job than a typical worker. Hiring has been so difficult largely because of an increase in the number of open jobs. Schools flush with federal pandemic relief money are creating new jobs and struggling to fill them at a time of low unemployment and stiff competition for workers of all kinds. Three-fourths of school leaders are trying to hire more substitutes, 58% are trying to hire more bus drivers, and 43% are trying to hire more tutors, according to a survey by RAND.

Technology job candidates in the San Francisco Bay Area continue to see the highest salary offers at an average local salary of $174,063, followed by Seattle ($168,069), New York ($161,128), Boston ($158,548), and Austin, TX ($157,612), according to an analysis of data from recruiting marketplace Hired, as well as a survey of more than 2,000 tech professionals by Hired. Average local salaries for candidates in mid-size markets (Boston, Los Angeles, and Seattle) have quickly caught up to salaries on par with larger tech hubs. Smaller markets such as Philadelphia (+12%), Dallas-Fort Worth (+11%), and Denver (+11%) showed the highest average local salary increases across all markets.

Remote salaries have continued to outpace local salaries. Average remote salaries climbed to $162,950 this year, ranking third highest overall in the report. “The hiring climate this year has been full of contradictions and challenges,” said Josh Brenner, Hired chief executive officer. “We’ve seen climbing salaries, aggressive hiring, and layoffs—all at once. However, the hiring landscape remains competitive as companies innovate and diversify their teams through remote work.”