Free tool · Runs in your browser
Employment gap calculator
Find the gaps between your jobs and how many months each one lasted. Paste each job with its dates, one per line, to see every gap between jobs, how long each one lasted and your total time between roles.
Private. Runs in your browser; nothing you type leaves your device.
Updated
Your results
- A gap is a whole month or more between the end of one job and the start of the next. Months are inclusive.
- Overlapping jobs are merged first, so time covered by any job is never counted as a gap.
- Present, Current, Now and Today mean the current month. A year on its own starts in January or ends in December.
- Check the dates against your own records before you explain a gap to an employer.
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How to use it
- Paste your job dates. Copy the jobs from your resume, one per line, each with a start and end date. Job titles and employer names on the same line are fine.
- Set the shortest gap. Leave the shortest gap at 1 month to see every gap, or raise it to show only longer breaks, such as gaps of 3 months or more.
- Review each gap. See each gap with its first and last month, how many months it lasted, and the total time between jobs across your whole history.
- Plan your explanation. For each gap you want to address, note the reason and anything you did in that time, then write a short resume line and interview answer.
Example
What was entered
- Your work history
- Bookkeeper, Maple Street Clinic, Jan 2019 – Dec 2020 Office Manager, Cedar Row Dental, Apr 2021 – Present
- Shortest gap to show
- 1 months
The result
- Gaps found
- Jan 2021 – Mar 2021 (3 months)
- Total months in gaps
- 3
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- Auto apply sends your new matches for you, résumé attached and questions answered from your saved answers.
- Employer replies arrive in your Applystead mailbox and show next to the application they’re about.
- Full auto answers recruiters, offers times that are free on your calendar and adds the interview when one is accepted.
Related free tools
- Tailor your whole résumé to a job: paste a job description and your résumé.
- Resume gap explanation generator: Explain a gap in your work history with a resume line, a cover letter note and an interview answer.
- Years of experience calculator: Add up your work history in years and months, counting overlapping jobs only once.
- Resume date format checker: List the date styles in your resume and flag mixed formats, reversed ranges and missing end dates.
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- Interview question generator: Get ten likely interview questions for a job from its own description, for the stage you are preparing for.
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Frequently asked questions
Is this employment gap calculator free?
Yes. It is free, needs no account and runs in your browser, so the dates you paste never leave your device. You can use it as often as you like.
How does it decide what counts as a gap?
It merges all your job dates, then counts the whole months between the end of one period and the start of the next. For example, a job ending in Dec 2020 and the next starting in Apr 2021 leave a gap of Jan 2021 – Mar 2021, which is 3 months.
Do jobs that overlap create a gap?
No. Overlapping jobs are merged before gaps are counted, so any month covered by at least one job is treated as time in work. A job that starts the month after another ends leaves no gap either.
Should I explain every gap it finds?
Not necessarily. You can usually leave a gap of a month or two between jobs without comment. Longer or recent gaps are worth a short, honest line on your resume and a prepared interview answer. Use the shortest gap setting to focus on the ones that matter.
Why do my dates only show months?
Most resumes list jobs by month and year, so the calculator works in whole months. If you only give years, a start year begins in January and an end year finishes in December, which can hide a gap inside a year.