GITNUXREPORT 2025

Cover Letter Statistics

Most hiring managers value tailored cover letters that influence decisions significantly.

Jannik Linder

Co-Founder of Gitnux, specialized in content and tech since 2016.

First published: April 29, 2025

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Statistic 1

45% of hiring managers spend less than a minute reviewing a cover letter

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Only 26% of job seekers send a cover letter with their application

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42% of applicants do not customize their cover letter for each job posting

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31% of companies discard applications that do not include a cover letter

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85% of job seekers believe that a cover letter helps them get noticed by recruiters

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43% of employers admit they are more likely to respond to a well-crafted cover letter

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68% of HR professionals have rejected a candidate due to a poorly written cover letter

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48% of job applications receive a review of less than five minutes

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37% of job applicants believe a cover letter is unnecessary, even though 84% of employers value it

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78% of job seekers think including a cover letter shows extra effort

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66% of HR professionals agree that a compelling cover letter can compensate for a lack of experience

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50% of job applications on average include a cover letter, according to recent surveys

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49% of hiring managers say they are more likely to contact a candidate that submits a cover letter

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41% of job applicants admit to copying cover letter templates without customizing

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30% of hiring managers say they do not read cover letters at all, preferring to focus on resumes

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35% of applicants include spelling or grammatical errors in their cover letters, leading to rejection

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78% of companies consider a cover letter as a chance to assess a candidate’s enthusiasm

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52% of job seekers believe a cover letter improves their chances in a competitive job market

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74% of recruiters believe that a tailored cover letter directly leads to interview invitations

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84% of employers say a cover letter influences hiring decisions

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56% of recruiters reported that a well-written cover letter helped their decision to invite a candidate for an interview

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52% of jobs require a cover letter for application consideration

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61% of recruiters said that a cover letter can reveal a candidate’s writing skills

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46% of applications that include a cover letter receive a response, compared to 20% without one

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30% of hiring managers report that cover letters have decreased in importance over the last five years

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45% of hiring managers consider cover letters helpful in understanding an applicant’s motivation

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69% of recruiters prefer applicants who include a tailored cover letter

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39% of hiring managers view cover letters as an essential part of the application process

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62% of HR professionals consider cover letters very important or important

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70% of hiring managers prefer to see a cover letter that explains why the applicant is a good fit

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65% of employers believe cover letters provide insight into a candidate’s personality

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58% of employers think cover letters reveal critical details about a candidate’s communication skills

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33% of hiring managers say they are more likely to consider a candidate with a compelling cover letter

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79% of recruiters say covering letters are a good way to differentiate yourself from other candidates

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60% of hiring managers say that a good cover letter can help overcome a lack of certain skills

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74% of hiring managers prefer a cover letter that explicitly states the position the applicant is applying for

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55% of hiring managers say a tailored cover letter improves the chances of landing an interview

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53% of recruiters view cover letters as a way to assess cultural fit

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44% of employers say they have made hiring decisions based solely on a cover letter

Statistic 40

72% of employers prefer cover letters to be concise, ideally no longer than one page

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59% of HR professionals suggest including specific achievements in cover letters

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68% of employers prefer cover letters that are personalized rather than generic

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39% of employers state that a lack of a cover letter disqualifies an applicant outright

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Key Highlights

45% of hiring managers spend less than a minute reviewing a cover letter
84% of employers say a cover letter influences hiring decisions
69% of recruiters prefer applicants who include a tailored cover letter
39% of hiring managers view cover letters as an essential part of the application process
Only 26% of job seekers send a cover letter with their application
62% of HR professionals consider cover letters very important or important
56% of recruiters reported that a well-written cover letter helped their decision to invite a candidate for an interview
42% of applicants do not customize their cover letter for each job posting
70% of hiring managers prefer to see a cover letter that explains why the applicant is a good fit
65% of employers believe cover letters provide insight into a candidate’s personality
58% of employers think cover letters reveal critical details about a candidate’s communication skills
33% of hiring managers say they are more likely to consider a candidate with a compelling cover letter
79% of recruiters say covering letters are a good way to differentiate yourself from other candidates

Did you know that despite over 70% of hiring managers valuing cover letters, only a quarter of job seekers actually send one—and crafting a personalized, compelling cover letter could be your secret weapon to stand out in a sea of applicants?

Applicant Behavior and Attitudes Toward Cover Letters

45% of hiring managers spend less than a minute reviewing a cover letter
Only 26% of job seekers send a cover letter with their application
42% of applicants do not customize their cover letter for each job posting
31% of companies discard applications that do not include a cover letter
85% of job seekers believe that a cover letter helps them get noticed by recruiters
43% of employers admit they are more likely to respond to a well-crafted cover letter
68% of HR professionals have rejected a candidate due to a poorly written cover letter
48% of job applications receive a review of less than five minutes
37% of job applicants believe a cover letter is unnecessary, even though 84% of employers value it
78% of job seekers think including a cover letter shows extra effort
66% of HR professionals agree that a compelling cover letter can compensate for a lack of experience
50% of job applications on average include a cover letter, according to recent surveys
49% of hiring managers say they are more likely to contact a candidate that submits a cover letter
41% of job applicants admit to copying cover letter templates without customizing
30% of hiring managers say they do not read cover letters at all, preferring to focus on resumes
35% of applicants include spelling or grammatical errors in their cover letters, leading to rejection
78% of companies consider a cover letter as a chance to assess a candidate’s enthusiasm
52% of job seekers believe a cover letter improves their chances in a competitive job market

Applicant Behavior and Attitudes Toward Cover Letters Interpretation

While nearly half of applicants see a cover letter as a vital chance to stand out and showcase enthusiasm, the grim reality remains that over 45% of hiring managers skim cover letters in under a minute, and with 37% dismissing them as unnecessary—even though 84% of employers value them—the battle for attention is as much about quality and customization as it is about sheer effort, making a well-crafted cover letter both a potential game-changer and a sign of genuine interest in an increasingly crowded job market.

Impact of Cover Letter Quality and Customization

74% of recruiters believe that a tailored cover letter directly leads to interview invitations

Impact of Cover Letter Quality and Customization Interpretation

With nearly three-quarters of recruiters seeing tailored cover letters as key to securing interviews, customizing your pitch isn't just good manners—it's your golden ticket to the interview room.

Importance of Cover Letters in Hiring Decisions

84% of employers say a cover letter influences hiring decisions
56% of recruiters reported that a well-written cover letter helped their decision to invite a candidate for an interview
52% of jobs require a cover letter for application consideration
61% of recruiters said that a cover letter can reveal a candidate’s writing skills
46% of applications that include a cover letter receive a response, compared to 20% without one
30% of hiring managers report that cover letters have decreased in importance over the last five years
45% of hiring managers consider cover letters helpful in understanding an applicant’s motivation

Importance of Cover Letters in Hiring Decisions Interpretation

While the evolving landscape sees some hiring managers downplaying cover letters' importance, the overwhelming data suggests that a well-crafted cover letter remains a key to unlocking interview doors, revealing writing prowess, motivation, and ultimately, a candidate's fit—making it more than just a formalty, but a strategic advantage.

Recruiter and Employer Preferences and Expectations

69% of recruiters prefer applicants who include a tailored cover letter
39% of hiring managers view cover letters as an essential part of the application process
62% of HR professionals consider cover letters very important or important
70% of hiring managers prefer to see a cover letter that explains why the applicant is a good fit
65% of employers believe cover letters provide insight into a candidate’s personality
58% of employers think cover letters reveal critical details about a candidate’s communication skills
33% of hiring managers say they are more likely to consider a candidate with a compelling cover letter
79% of recruiters say covering letters are a good way to differentiate yourself from other candidates
60% of hiring managers say that a good cover letter can help overcome a lack of certain skills
74% of hiring managers prefer a cover letter that explicitly states the position the applicant is applying for
55% of hiring managers say a tailored cover letter improves the chances of landing an interview
53% of recruiters view cover letters as a way to assess cultural fit
44% of employers say they have made hiring decisions based solely on a cover letter
72% of employers prefer cover letters to be concise, ideally no longer than one page
59% of HR professionals suggest including specific achievements in cover letters
68% of employers prefer cover letters that are personalized rather than generic
39% of employers state that a lack of a cover letter disqualifies an applicant outright

Recruiter and Employer Preferences and Expectations Interpretation

With over 69% of recruiters favoring tailored cover letters that showcase personality and fit, it's clear that a well-crafted one-page narrative isn't just optional—it's the secret weapon that can turn your application from overlooked to interview-ready.