Recent college graduates are facing a job market that’s only getting tougher. Their unemployment rate hit 5.7%, compared to 4.1% for all workers, in June 2026. That may not sound like much, but it’s one of the worst rates in the past 20 years.
Meanwhile, roughly 4 in 10 graduates are underemployed, which means they work in jobs that typically don’t require a college degree. That’s the highest rate since the COVID-19 pandemic.
