Right now there are nearly 5 million jobs in the U.S. that need to be filled, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics , yet only about 2% of candidates will ever get to the interview stage.

Standing out in a sea of applicants could be made simpler with data science to light the way.

A recent survey from SmartRecruiters, a hiring platform used by General Mills, AOL, and NAPA Auto Parts, among others, examined data gathered from more than 270,000 jobs in the U.S. and Canada that reveals the best times to apply for a job and get hired.

Turns out that Tuesday scores big on three fronts:

Most jobs are posted on Tuesdays (followed closely by Monday and Wednesday)

Most people apply for jobs on Tuesdays (18.41% beating out Monday and Wednesday)

Most hires are made on Tuesdays and Thursdays (21.39% vs. 20% on Thursday)

SmartRecruiters CEO and founder Jerome Ternynck speculates that Mondays can be difficult for hiring managers because they’re trying to get caught up after the weekend. “It’s a busy day that tends to get away from people before they have a chance to extend offers,” he says. By Tuesday they can focus on extending job offers.

“As far as Thursdays go,” Ternynck posits, “I find that employers are eager to make offers before the weekend starts, and people are thinking more about weekend plans.” Additionally, a Thursday offer gives a candidate a weekend away from their job or other activities to properly evaluate the offer and make an informed decision, he adds.

SmartRecruiters found that the best time to look for new job postings is late morning and during the afternoon slump. The biggest concentration of job postings appeared at 11 a.m., and the second most popular time by a fraction is 4 p.m.

Ternynck believes the reasoning is similar to what is behind the most popular hiring days. By 11 a.m. most hiring managers are caught up and can post jobs, yet they can still catch the group of candidates that might be searching during their lunch break. “Similarly, by 4 p.m. they can focus on postings and are trying to make sure they get listings posted in time for potential candidates to see at the top of the list when they get home and are online looking for jobs,” he says.