Many recent grads say AI is making it harder to get a job. Economists aren't so sure
The unemployment rate for recent college graduates is running higher than the broader workforce, according to New York Fed data. Younger workers are pointing to AI as a factor, though economists are not convinced the picture is that simple.
Why this matters: If AI is quietly closing off entry-level roles, that matters most to people who have not yet built a career. Junior jobs are how most people get their first foothold. Lose enough of those and you do not just delay careers, you shrink the pipeline of experienced workers a decade from now. The honest answer is we do not know yet how much of this is AI and how much is a slow economy. But that uncertainty is not reassuring if you just graduated and cannot find work.
Who should care: General readers · AI governance · Policy
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