Graduating from college used to be the starting line for a promising career, but for many students, getting that first job offer is becoming increasingly difficult.
The Reality for Recent Graduates
"I have been unemployed since February. So going on six months now," said recent college graduate Tiernan Smith.
"It's been basically crickets," said recent college graduate Matthew Solomon.
Recent college graduates are entering a turbulent economy, and entry-level jobs are seeing more competition. There are fewer entry-level postings as well.
"I knew pretty much just because of the newer economic climate that we were in at the start of the year that it was probably not going to be an easy job search," Tiernan said.
"Every time I apply to an online job posting, I am hearing nothing back," Solomon said.
Solomon has two degrees from the University of Michigan and graduated in 2023. However, he has been encountering the same issue when trying to get hired.
"I have probably have sent out, gosh, maybe 1500 or more applications," Solomon said.
Tiernan holds a degree in Business Administration and has a certificate in Cyber Security. Since February, he's applied to over 100 different jobs, tailoring his resume to fit the job description. But he was still not hearing back from many, even after following up.
"I would say half the time is generous," Tiernan said. "I would say a majority of the time, if not every time, you either get no response or a wait-and-see sort of thing."
What the Data Shows
According to a national report done by Cengage Group, 30 percent of 2025 college graduates and 41 percent of 2024 college graduates found entry-level jobs in their field. The report also pointed out that 76 percent of employers reported they were hiring the same or fewer entry-level employees, compared to 69 percent last year.
"There are concerns over the long-term unemployment being a problem, and that shows that people are having trouble finding jobs," said Michael Greiner, an Associate Professor of Management at Oakland University.
Greiner said employers are in a holding pattern and believes the economy has been slowing down longer than expected.
"Part of that, of course, other factors like, of course, there's the concern of the impact of AI and that type of thing," Greiner said.
But for Tiernan and Matthew, they are not giving up just yet.
"I am still hanging in there and keeping hope because I have to," Solomon said.
"Holding on to hope," Smith said.
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