Young Workers' Job Woes Aren't All in Their Heads

Landing that first "real" job is getting tougher for new grads—and the data suggests it's not just in their heads. The Washington Post reports that as employers grow more cautious in an uncertain economy and AI reshapes roles, they're increasingly favoring experience over potential. Revelio Labs finds the typical new hire in 2025 was 42, up from 40 in 2016, while the share of workers 25 and under cratered from 14.9% in 2022 to 8.8% last year; hiring for that age group is down more than 45% since 2019. At the other end, hiring of workers 65 and older is up nearly 80%.

Economists and recruiters say older employees are staying longer and even "unretiring," driven by longer lifespans, inflation, and the appeal—or necessity—of continued paychecks. Companies, meanwhile, are leaning into "skills-based hiring," especially leadership and people skills, which tend to reward veterans of the workplace. AI is another pressure point: Stanford researchers found employment among 22- to 25-year-olds fell 13% since 2022 in the occupations most exposed to the technology. CEOs from JPMorgan Chase, LinkedIn, and McDonald's are blunt: young workers need in-demand, adaptable skills in a market with fewer entry rungs. Read the full piece, which shares the story of one 2024 grad's 14-month job search, here.