More than a year after losing his role as a software engineer, Jesse Jashinsky remained unable to secure new employment. He relied on unemployment benefits, SNAP assistance, church support, and growing credit card balances to care for his family.

When their vehicle failed, the cost of a new transmission became an unaffordable crisis.

Jashinsky created a GoFundMe campaign and posted it first on Facebook. Several days later he shared the link on LinkedIn, noting he was unsure whether it was appropriate but felt desperate.

The LinkedIn post helped raise more than $3,800 for the family.

"I had no idea if it would get us anything, but I had nothing to lose," said Jashinsky, 40, of Utah.

With a cooling labor market and persistent inflation, LinkedIn has evolved from a formal networking platform into a space where users openly discuss layoffs, lengthy job searches, and requests for direct financial aid.

A review of 50 LinkedIn posts from the past year that included GoFundMe links revealed common stories of extended unemployment, accumulating debt, and sudden financial needs. Many posters described the choice to seek help on the site as uncomfortable yet unavoidable. Roughly half the campaigns addressed job loss or prolonged searches, while others focused on medical costs or family hardships.

The trend coincides with a tougher hiring environment. In February the hiring rate dropped to levels last seen in the early pandemic and after the Great Recession. By March more than one quarter of unemployed Americans had searched for work for at least 27 weeks, up from about 18 percent three years prior.

Although posting for support on LinkedIn can yield results, it also exposes users to potential stigma, scams, and increased online attention.

The new openness on LinkedIn

One early sign of changing norms was the introduction of "open to work" banners in 2020 during high pandemic unemployment. The feature allowed users to signal availability, though some feared it signaled desperation to employers.

Brooke Erin Duffy, an associate professor of communication at Cornell University who researches social platforms, noted that expectations around online self-presentation have shifted quickly. Economic uncertainty and public discussions of workplace issues have made candid conversations about career challenges more common.

"People are not only sharing more of their personal lives but are also more willing to show vulnerability in professional settings, from layoffs to difficult work experiences," she said.

Andrew Selepak, a social media professor at the University of Florida, observed that visible success with such posts encourages others to try similar requests. He added that users may be drawing from influencer practices of building connection through personal disclosure.

"Many people grasp that greater transparency leads to stronger connections," he said.

Jeffrey Knutson recently posted his own GoFundMe on LinkedIn after months without work as a digital asset manager and with unemployment benefits nearing exhaustion. He has collected more than $6,500, mostly from friends, former colleagues, and some strangers.

"I wanted to be honest about the current job market and demonstrate that seeking help in tough times is both practical and necessary," said Knutson, 54, of Chicago.

Public appeals carry drawbacks. Knutson received suspicious messages from individuals pretending to be recruiters or offering promotion services that later requested payment.

"I would definitely advise people to be cautious," he said.

Neither Knutson nor other job seekers expressed regret over sharing their campaigns. GoFundMe reports that the vast majority of its fundraisers are legitimate.

Why certain people turn to LinkedIn for help

LinkedIn attracts many white-collar professionals who have faced sharper hiring slowdowns in recent years, Selepak noted. The platform's gradual addition of younger users accustomed to personal sharing online, combined with the larger networks of longer-term members, may also fuel more direct appeals.

After a layoff from Morgan Stanley, Valerie Lockhart started a GoFundMe for urgent plumbing repairs that left her household without hot water. She hesitated to post on LinkedIn but chose to do so because her network there was larger than elsewhere.

Issac Jeremy Caballero, after losing his healthcare instructor position, launched a GoFundMe and eventually shared it on LinkedIn once he reflected on the supportive community he had built. He has raised more than $2,500, which helped cover expenses during his search for new work.

"I wanted to be transparent about my situation and trusted that the same community I have supported would understand and potentially help in return," he said.