Today's college graduates are walking into a job market that looks nothing like the one their older siblings entered, with artificial intelligence now taking over tasks that once formed the core of entry-level employment.
The New York Federal Reserve reports that the unemployment rate for college graduates aged 22 to 27 hit 4.8% in June 2025. That's up from 3.8% in May 2022 and notably higher than the national average of 4.0%. This reversal of long-standing trends marks a structural shift in the labor market.
