https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/24/business/economy/college-graduates-job-market-hiring.html

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U.S. Economy

  * Energy Costs
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  * Consumer Prices
  * Outlook for College Graduates
  * Jobs Losses

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Young Graduates Face the Grimmest Job Market in Years

Artificial intelligence could reshape work, but for now a low-hire,
low-fire labor market is the main impediment for young people seeking
employment.

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A portrait of Erin Torres, wearing a white sweater and jeans, sitting
on a couch in a darkened room near a window.
"I was hoping that at this stage, I would have something lined up,"
said Erin Torres, who has been searching for a job for months.
Credit...Marisa Chafetz for The New York Times
Sydney Ember

By Sydney Ember

March 24, 2026, 5:01 a.m. ET

In January, an administrator from the career center at the University
of Delaware posed a question on a private message board for
educators: "Has anyone else noticed a decrease in employer fair
registration for their spring events?"

Responses came swiftly.

"We are definitely seeing similar issues!"

"It seems the current environment is not conducive to hiring."

"The struggle is real."

The forum, which included administrators from schools across the
country, encapsulated the intense anxiety gripping college students,
recent graduates and virtually everyone else who knows anyone
preparing to start a career.

They have reason to worry: This is the worst spring for young degree
holders since the depths of the pandemic.

Unemployment rates for young people

Among workers with and without college degrees, between the ages of
22 and 27

Notes: Data is seasonally adjusted and based on a three-month moving
average.

Source: Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

The New York Times

The unemployment rate for college graduates ages 22 to 27 soared to
5.6 percent at the end of last year, according to an analysis from
the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, up sharply over the past three
years and outstripping the overall rate of 4.2 percent at the time.
For those who were employed, more than 40 percent held jobs that do
not typically require college degrees, the highest level since 2020.

Young and Looking for Work? We Want to Hear From You.

New York Times economics reporters want to understand how young
people are navigating employment. We may want to use your experience
in a story, but we would only do so with your permission.

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