Only 1 in 10 Resumes Include Measurable Results, Study Shows

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Table of contents

Key Findings
Resume Results Report Findings
What Job Seekers Can Do

Most job seekers list responsibilities on their resume, but far fewer show the results of their work. The new Resume Results Report from Resume Now analyzed more than 18.4 million U.S. resumes created between May and July 2025 and uncovered a big gap: While strong action verbs are common, measurable results are rare.

This matters because pairing power verbs with quantifiable achievements is one of the simplest and most effective ways to make your resume stand out. Yet most candidates are missing this opportunity to prove their impact.

Key Findings

Quantifiable impact is rare. Only 10% of resumes include measurable results.
Experience matters. Workers with 10+ years of experience are more than twice as likely as entry-level candidates to use metrics.
Occupation matters. Quantifiable keywords appear most in computer & mathematical and management roles; they're least common in maintenance and healthcare support.
Action verbs dominate. 57% of resumes use strong action verbs. The most common are "led," "managed," "collaborated," "developed," and "created."

Resume Results Report Findings

Numbers speak louder than responsibilities, but very few job seekers are using them. The data shows that measurable results rarely make it onto resumes, especially for those at the start of their careers.

Quantifiable Impact Is Rare

Only 10% of resumes included measurable results (numbers, percentages, or dollar amounts). And experienced professionals (10+ years) were more than twice as likely to use metrics as entry-level workers.

Infographic depicting the frequency of measurable results on resumes divided by career level.

Here's who included metrics by experience level:

Entry-level (0–1 years): 5%
Early-career (1–4 years): 9%
Mid-career (4–10 years): 11%
Experienced (10+ years): 12%

What this means: Even if you are just starting out, adding measurable results to your resume can help you stand out in a crowded applicant pool. Think about times you improved efficiency, supported a team, or served a specific number of clients or customers. Small numbers still show real impact, and hiring managers pay attention to them.

Metrics Come More Naturally for Some Occupations

Some fields naturally lean toward numbers and metrics, while others rarely use them at all. The report shows clear differences in how often workers across occupations include measurable results on their resumes.

Top occupations using quantifiable metrics:

Computer & mathematical: 22%
Management: 14%
Architecture & engineering: 12%
Business & financial operations: 11%
Military specific: 10%

Occupations least likely to use quantifiable metrics:

Building & grounds cleaning/maintenance: 2%
Healthcare support: 2%
Farming, fishing, & forestry: 3%
Food preparation & serving: 3%
Personal care & service: 3%

What this means: If you work in a technical or management field, metrics may come more naturally—like revenue growth, projects completed, or performance improvements. But if you are in a service-based or hands-on role, you can still find creative ways to quantify your work. Think about time saved, number of clients served, or satisfaction scores.

Even in fields where metrics are less common, adding them can give your resume a competitive edge.

Action Verbs Dominate

If there's one thing most resumes get right, it's using strong action verbs. Candidates are much more likely to describe what they did than to prove what impact it had. The data shows that verbs are everywhere, but numbers are not:

Overall, 57% of resumes contained strong action verbs, compared to just 10% with measurable achievements.
The most common action verbs used are "led," "managed," "collaborated," "developed," "created," "implemented," "built," "designed," "executed."

Perhaps unsurprisingly, some occupations are more likely to use strong language than others.

Top occupations using action verbs:

Computer & mathematical: 70%
Personal care & service: 60%
Management: 60%
Military specific: 60%
Sales: 59%

Occupations least likely to use action verbs:

Farming, fishing, & forestry: 49%
Life, physical, & social science: 50%
Production: 52%
Healthcare practitioners & technical: 52%
Building & grounds cleaning/maintenance: 53%

What this means: Action verbs are a great start, but they're only half the story. Instead of stopping at "Managed a team," try "Managed a 10-person team that reduced errors by 15%." Both versions showcase key leadership skills, but pairing verbs with numbers shows hiring managers not just what you did, but why it mattered.

What Job Seekers Can Do

Adding measurable results to your resume doesn't have to be complicated. Small shifts in wording can make a big difference in how your achievements are perceived.

Resume Now experts recommend doing the following:

Pair verbs with metrics. Instead of "Led a team," say "Led a 6-person team that increased sales by 20%."
Highlight results early. Place professional summaries or bullet points to grab recruiters' attention.
Tailor by industry. Technical and management roles often lend themselves to metrics, while service roles may require creative ways to demonstrate measurable impact.

What this means: Every job has measurable outcomes, even if they aren't obvious at first. By quantifying your contributions, you not only prove your value but also give hiring managers an easier way to compare you to other candidates. This simple shift can help you move from blending in to standing out.

Looking for a change of scenery? Resume Now's AI Resume Builder can help you land a new role by creating or updating your resume to meet the standards of the competitive job market.

Methodology

The analysis reviewed more than 18.4 million resumes created on Resume Now between May and July 2025. Resume text was standardized by removing HTML tags and normalizing special characters to ensure consistency. Quantifiable achievements were identified through pattern recognition of numbers, units of measurement (such as dollars and percentages), time or frequency terms, and impact verbs in combination (e.g., "increased sales by 25%"). Action verbs were detected using a curated set of leadership and performance-related words (including "led," "managed," "developed," "created"), with both standalone and multi-word combinations captured. Results were segmented by experience level and major occupational group, with findings representing the population of users who created resumes on Resume Now.

About Resume Now

Resume Now is a powerful resource dedicated to helping job-seekers achieve their potential. Resume Now's AI Resume Builder is a cutting-edge tool that makes creating a resume fast, easy, and painless. Resume Now has been dedicated to serving job seekers since 2005. Alongside its powerful AI Resume Builder and stylish ready-to-use templates, it also features free advice for job seekers at every career stage, guides for every step of the hiring process, and free resources for writing cover letters. Resume Now is committed to supporting job seekers and workers alike and has conducted numerous surveys related to the experience, trends, and culture of the workplace. These surveys have been featured in Business Insider, CNBC, Fast Company, Yahoo!, Forbes, and more. Keep up with Resume Now on LinkedIn, Facebook, X, and Pinterest.

For press inquiries, contact Kathy Gardner at kathy.gardner@bold.com.

Keith is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and trusted media source in the career industry with over a decade of experience helping job seekers stand out.