The job market is so tough white-collar workers are ‘reverse recruiting,’ shelling out thousands to get headhunters to find them their next role

Here’s what your unemployed friend is really doing on a Tuesday: In the latest sign of a stagnant job market, white-collar workers are flipping the traditional recruiting model by hiring recruiters to help them land their next jobs—a trend known as “reverse recruiting,” the Wall Street Journal reported this week.

Headhunters? More like breadhunters: On top of career coaching and résumé building, reverse-recruiting agencies often take the keys and apply to dozens of jobs on an applicant’s behalf.