American workers are increasingly seeking higher pay, more flexibility, and remote options as they flex their leverage in the current job market, but many companies are not necessarily being more accommodative, continuing to favor candidates with several years of experience in their industry, more availability to work evening or weekend hours, or a preference for those willing to work in-person.

This mismatch in what both sides prioritize is yet another challenge complicating the country’s economic recovery, helping explain weaker hiring in August and September. In many ways, supply and demand forces in the labor market are still out of equilibrium…

The deep frustration among both hiring managers and job seekers right now underscores the challenges in getting so many people back to work quickly and the growing divide between what employers want versus what job seekers want.

“A lot of the interest from employers is not spread evenly across the labor pool. There are some people in very high demand and there are some people who get no interest at all,” said Julia Pollak, chief economist at the ZipRecruiter jobs site. “Employers really do value prior experience a lot.”