"Young people who did everything right, from earning degrees to building resumes to interning at brand-name companies, are sending out hundreds of applications and hearing nothing back. The process has grown demoralizing. The job market now feels like endless swipes on a broken app. One graduate applied to 200 jobs and never received a single response, The Atlantic reported. It is no wonder so many feel stuck, disillusioned or forced into side hustles that don't offer stability."
"Artificial intelligence is accelerating the crisis. It is moving straight into the professional core of our economy, swallowing the entry-level work that used to be the first rung of a career ladder. CEOs themselves admit AI could wipe out half of all entry-level white-collar jobs. Postings for entry-level roles are already down 35% since 2023, with some firms cutting new graduate hiring by 50%, according to Bloomberg TV. Without a first rung, the ladder to opportunity collapses."
"California, once a symbol of opportunity, now leads the nation in unemployment, tying for the highest jobless rate in June 2025 at 5.4%. The average electricity bill in the state is $186, nearly 30% higher than the national average, according to Solar Reviews. The median age of a first-time homebuyer has climbed to 38. Locked out of housing, Gen Z is improvising. Business Insider reports retail investing among 25-year-olds has increased sixfold since 2015."
Hiring rates for recent college graduates fell by more than 20% in the past year. For the first time in more than 40 years, graduates face a higher unemployment rate than the general population. Many young people who completed degrees, internships, and resume-building are sending hundreds of applications and receiving no responses, producing demoralization. Artificial intelligence is replacing entry-level white-collar tasks, with CEOs warning up to half of such jobs could disappear and postings down about 35% since 2023. Combined with rising living costs, high state unemployment, delayed homebuying, and increased retail investing among young people, opportunity appears increasingly constrained and the safety net thinner.
Read at San Jose Spotlight
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