JOB MARKET

Nearly 43% of college graduates aged 22 to 27 are underemployed — the highest rate since the pandemic. Entry-level jobs aren't just scarce. They're disappearing, absorbed by AI and a frozen hiring market. The ladder didn't move. It got pulled up. The graduates who thrive won't be the ones with the most prestigious first job. They'll be the ones who accumulated the most real experience. Because experience is the one thing AI cannot replicate.

If you have been job searching recently and thinking, something feels off, you are not imagining it. Unemployment numbers look stable. Companies are posting roles. Certain industries are still growing. And yet, highly qualified professionals are applying to dozens of positions and hearing nothing back. That contradiction is what makes this market feel strange. There are jobs. But the experience of searching feels harder than ever. Let’s unpack why. Hiring Is Happening, But It