"I wasn't super-actively looking, but somebody happened to reach out to me and I hopped over," said 24-year-old Gozzo, who cut his commute in half when he started his new position in January at a creative staffing agency in Raleigh, North Carolina. While workers have always recognized the importance of networking, "there are so many outlets to do it these days, more so than a couple generations ago."

Both employed and unemployed workers are finding it easier than ever to keep up a perpetual job search using an array of social media and online recruitment platforms, while employers are also taking advantage of more access to candidates and their backgrounds. That's poised to increase the frequency of labor-market musical chairs as Americans become emboldened by an improving job market to seek out better positions.

"The more information that people have, the more efficient the labor market should be in matching people with the optimal job for their skillset," said Stephen Stanley, chief economist at Pierpont Securities LLC in Stamford, Connecticut. "The fact is, you're probably going to see more churn."