The value of a college degree is crashing.
For the past 40 years, college grads aged 22 to 27 were more likely to be employed than the general workforce. That flipped in 2021. Since then, unemployment for recent grads has climbed higher than the national average.
And the gap keeps growing.
There are more grads than ever, but fewer jobs that require a degree. Job openings have dropped 42 percent since 2022. White-collar hires aged 20 to 24 at small businesses have fallen 71 percent since 2019.
The days when just having a college degree could open doors are gone.
Now it takes internships, referrals, networking, projects/portfolios, cold outreach, and a bit of luck just to land an entry-level role. Even then, it’s not guaranteed. The bar keeps rising, while the number of open jobs keeps shrinking.
Today’s grads are up against hiring freezes, AI disruption, outsourcing, and record competition. “Tough” doesn’t even begin to describe it. We’re facing the hardest job market in modern history for college graduates.
If it feels nearly impossible to get your foot in the door, that’s because it is.
Someone in your life probably thinks you’re not trying hard enough. They don’t see the 100s of job applications. The ghosted interviews. The endless rejections with no explanation. They don’t know the numbers, and they don’t understand how much the game has changed.
Most people won’t get it. That’s okay. Just know I see you.
And you don’t need to prove your effort to anyone but yourself.
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