Bank of America says the unemployment rate for recent grads is rising faster than all workers

BofA chart (Credit: Bank of America Research)

The unemployment rate for recent college graduates in the United States has now surpassed that of all workers, marking a significant reversal of pre-pandemic labor market trends, according to an analysis from the Bank of America Institute.

For much of the past decade, individuals ages 22 to 27 with at least a bachelor’s degree—classified as “recent graduates”—enjoyed a lower unemployment rate compared to the broader workforce. However, post-pandemic shifts have flipped this pattern. Since the global disruptions of COVID-19, recent grads’ jobless rate has consistently outpaced the overall unemployment rate, the institute found. In July 2025, the national unemployment rate inched up to 4.2%, but the figures were even higher among recent graduates.