Somehow, new college grads are optimistic amid a brutal job market, report shows

You graduated, moved back home, submitted dozens, maybe hundreds, of job applications and finally landed one—that you’re probably overqualified for. Welcome to the life of a recent college graduate.

According to ZipRecruiter’s recent graduate report—which surveyed 1,500 college grads from 2025 and 1,500 rising graduates—the current job market is changing how a new wave of young adults are studying, working and living. 

And despite obstacles, they remain hopeful about reaching their professional goals in the near future.

New grads face intense competition today than in past years, as entry-level opportunities shrink and artificial intelligence reshapes the job market. More job seekers are competing for the few early-career gigs that are available. Young professionals are putting in more effort and submitting more job applications—but they receive fewer offers and have less of a say in where they end up.

Many pin the issue to AI, with nearly half (47%) saying that AI has impacted their field, according to the report. Those in the communications, media studies or public relations field dominate the share of grads who feel AI is impacting their jobs the most, followed by computer science, IT and data science. 

What’s even more frustrating for recent grads is that they don’t believe universities are preparing them for the changes: only 23% of recent grads said that their school offered extensive AI training for professional use. There’s also a gender gap in that sentiment: Only 18.7% of recent female grads said they have AI training integrated into their curriculum compared to 28.6% of their male peers. Even more, nearly 14% of women—double the rate of men—say their schools focused on covering the risks of AI without covering how to use the tool professionally. 

In a job market where AI fluency is expected, that gap could have some serious consequences. When they’re out of college, the survey found that young women enter the workforce making 80 cents to every man’s dollar.

The survey did have some promising stats—on the surface, at least. 

Despite the difficult conditions, 77% of recent grads were able to land a role within three months of graduating—that’s compared to 63% one year ago. While the number sounds promising, its context matters.

Recent grads submitted more applications and applied for different kinds of jobs—often ones they feel overqualified for. Half (51%) of recent grads see their current job as a stepping stone to the career path they actually want to pursue.

Regardless of the noise around whether a college degree is worth it in this day and age, the survey found that young college grads faced a 5.6% unemployment rate. While that’s higher than the 3.1% for all college-educated workers, it is lower than the 7.8% rate for their same-aged peers overall. 

Work experience and networking change outcomes, too. Recent grads who have work experience are more than twice as likely to have a job after graduation. Nearly 88% of employed grads said networking is important in securing their first job.

When the job market looks closed, grads are pursuing gig work, apprenticeships, taking time off to travel and moving back home to save costs. Some college students are changing their majors to adjust to the shaky job market, while nearly half of recent college grads are thinking about furthering their education as an alternative to finding a job.

While they grind, 80% expect to reach their dream career within the next five years. 

It’s evident that young adults are doing what they can to adapt to the times—and managing to keep the optimism alive while they’re at it. 

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