US-headquartered job search engine Adzuna has announced the acquisition of Getwork, the enterprise job search arm of job market data company LinkUp (formerly JobDig), for an undisclosed amount. Both Adzuna and Getwork will continue to operate as independent brands.

The acquisition, which is intended to drive Adzuna's growth in North America, comes just after Adzuna expanded into Switzerland, Belgium, Spain, and Mexico. Adzuna now operates in 20 markets globally, but the US remains the fastest-growing part of the business, according to Doug Monro, CEO and co-founder of Adzuna.

Monro described the US enterprise market as "crying out for strong alternatives to existing offerings", and pointed out that in today's job market, there is a noticeable gap between what employers are offering and what job seekers are looking for - leading to a trend of people moving on.

"The Great Resignation has significantly changed employees' outlook on the world of work and their values when it comes to a job (better work/life balance, greater flexibility, etc.). Now, workers would rather pivot roles or industries for a position that fits what they need and want," he told People Matters.

So what are people looking for in the current post-pandemic environment?

"Given high inflation, job seekers are prioritizing higher wages as well as workplace flexibility," Monro said. "In fact, the data is showing that people want to stay home. Job seeker searches for fully remote jobs have more than doubled year-on-year."

But there continues to be a mismatch, he said: remote jobs account for just 6% of total job openings. And he doesn't foresee the job market shifting to accommodate the demand - the economy is simply not in a state where employers can or will make much more significant adjustments.

"Employees are very focused on what they want from their employers, but there are economic uncertainties looming with hiring freezes and layoffs in the tech industry, higher interest rates and persisting supply chain issues," he warned.

"While companies are still actively filling open roles now, it will be important for job seekers to keep an eye on the market and be more cautious about job changes with fewer opportunities available."