Gen Z Grads: Shifting Employment Landscape

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OK, so let's get into this. For decades, a college

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degree was seen as, well, the golden ticket,

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that laminated promise of economic security,

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a clear path. The standard playbook for success,

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you could say. Exactly. But what happens when

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that promise starts to fray, especially for Gen

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Z? Welcome to another deep dive from the road

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to financial empowerment by empowering your finance.

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Today, we're really digging into Gen Z grads,

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the shifting employment landscape. And we've

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pulled together some really fascinating sources

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for you. We've got recent surveys from places

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like Resume Genius, the Financial Times, analyses

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from Pew Research Center, even a doctoral study

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from Walden University. So a good mix to really

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understand what's happening. Yeah. And our mission

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today is basically to cut through the noise,

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extract the key insights from all this material.

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We want to look at why that traditional path

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is being questioned so much now. And there are

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some surprising gender dynamics. we need to talk

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about too. Oh, interesting. Plus, what alternatives

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are popping up? Things that might actually redefine

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success for this generation. Right. Get ready

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for maybe some aha moments, because what we're

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looking at here, it isn't just a passing trend.

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It feels more like a fundamental recalibration

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of value in this rapidly changing economy. It

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affects everyone. So let's set the scene a bit.

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Historically, that four -year college degree,

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It was the undisputed ticket to economic security,

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wasn't it? Absolutely. The American dream's most

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prized possession, as some might say. Yeah, he

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guaranteed you that seat at the professional

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table, or so he thought. And look, for a long

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time, that largely held true. But what our sources

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are showing now is that for today's Gen Z, particularly

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young men, that dream is, well, it's unraveling

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at the seams. That's a direct quote. Unraveling

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at the seams. Yeah. Consider this is pretty jarring.

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A recent Financial Times analysis using pretty

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current data, U .S. Current Population Survey

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from July 2025, it shows young male college graduates

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aged 22 to 27 now have almost the same unemployment

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rate as guys their age without degrees. The same

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rate, so the advantage is gone. Pretty much leveled

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out in that specific group. Now, for context,

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the Fed puts the overall unemployment rate for

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recent college grads at 5 .5 % versus 6 .9 %

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for all young workers in that age range. So there's

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still a slight edge overall, but for young men

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specifically. That gap has closed dramatically.

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And how does that compare to, say, a decade ago?

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Oh, it's a stark difference. Go back to 2010.

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Young men without college degrees, they faced

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unemployment over 15%. 15 %? Yeah. While their

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college -educated peers were down around 7%.

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percent. So that significant educational advantage,

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it's clearly eroded quite dramatically. Okay.

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So what's causing this? Why this erosion, this

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leveling? Well, there seem to be a few key factors.

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One big one highlighted in a Harvard Business

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Review piece from 2023 is employers are quietly

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dropping degree requirements. Really, for what

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kind of jobs? Especially for a lot of entry -level

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roles. I think tech, logistics, customer service,

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sectors where maybe specific skills or just being

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able to learn quickly matters more than the credential

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itself. Okay, that makes sense. Skills over sheepskin.

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Kind of, and then there's just the sheer number

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of graduates. The proliferation, as the sources

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call it. It's diluted the exclusivity. If everyone

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has a bachelor's degree, it doesn't make you

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stand out quite as much. Right. It becomes the

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baseline, not the differentiator. And we haven't

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even mentioned the cost yet, which is just astronomical.

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Exactly. That's a huge piece of the puzzle. Our

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sources show the average annual cost for a four

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-year public college up over 140 % and private

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universities up around So you're talking about

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potentially crippling debt before you even land

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that first job. So putting this all together,

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does it mean higher education is like obsolete?

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Is college dead? People are asking that. And

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the sources are pretty clear. No, it's not obsolete,

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not at all. Degrees absolutely still matter and

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they're essential for certain fields, medicine,

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law, advanced research, you name it. OK. But.

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And this is the big but. The myth of the guaranteed

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payoff is gone. That's the shift. The guarantee

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is gone. Precisely. It's less about the death

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of education, more about a really profound recalibration

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of value. Young people today, Gen Z especially,

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they're laser focused on return on investment,

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ROI. Understandably so. Especially post pandemic

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with AI shaking things up, inflation. They're

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asking very practical questions about what that

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expensive degree will actually do for their bank

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account. That's a really powerful way to frame

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it. A generational recalibration. Not necessarily

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a crisis, but a correction. Recognizing that

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maybe the path isn't just paved with that parchment

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anymore. It's about practical skills, economic

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independence. And look at this stat from Resume

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Genius. 23 % of full -time Gen Z workers actually

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regret going to college. 23%. Yeah. And 19 %

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said their degree didn't even help their career.

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That's telling. OK, so if we dig a bit deeper

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into these trends, what about different groups

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within Gen Z? You mentioned gender dynamics earlier.

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Right. This is where it gets quite interesting.

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The sources point to a pretty notable gender

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gap. While college -educated young men are seeing

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this rising unemployment matching their non -degree

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peers, their female counterparts seem to be faring

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better. Faring better how? Lower unemployment.

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Exactly. That same Financial Times analysis,

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it found only about 4 % of college -educated

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women aged 22 to 27 are unemployed. OK, compared

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to the 7 % for men you mentioned earlier. Precisely.

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A significant gap there. Why is that? What explains

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that difference? Well, part of it seems to be

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sector -driven. Health care, for instance. It's

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a huge employer, tends to employ more women,

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and it's one of the fastest growing fields in

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the US. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects,

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like 1 .9 million health care job openings annually

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over the next decade. Wow. And healthcare, as

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seen, is pretty stable, right? Like, recession

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resistant. Generally, yes. That's a big factor.

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But there might be other things at play, too,

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in terms of approach. For approach to the job

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search, you mean? Yeah. Some experts in our sources

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suggest women might be, on average, more flexible,

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maybe more willing to take part -time work, or

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temporary roles, or something that's maybe good

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enough for now just to get a foot in the door,

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gain experience, or maintain financial stability.

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OK. Whereas men? Whereas men, again, generalizing

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based on the sources, might be more likely to

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hold out for that perfect role, the one that

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really matches their ideal career vision. Which

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could mean longer stretches of unemployment while

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they search. Potentially, yes. It's one hypothesis

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put forward. Okay, so that Financial Times data

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points to better outcomes for college -educated

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women in that specific group. Yeah. But you mentioned

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another study, the Walden University one. Did

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it find something different looking more broadly?

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Yes. And this is why it's important to look at

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multiple sources. That doctoral study used BLS

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data looking at gender, generation, and overall

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unemployment rates, not just recent grads. And

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interestingly, it found that females, compared

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to males across the generations studied, actually

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saw a slight increase in unemployment rates,

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euro 0 .652 units, to be precise. Oh, so the

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opposite trend from looking more broadly. In

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that specific study, yes. It suggests that while

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college -educated young women might be doing

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relatively well right now, possibly due to sector

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growth, the broader picture for women across

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all education levels might still involve challenges

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like occupational segregation, being concentrated

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in certain lower paying fields or societal norms

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impacting work. So it's complex, different data

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sets, different demographics. They paint slightly

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different pictures. Exactly. Nuance is key here.

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OK. So faced with all this, the cost of college,

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the uncertain payoff, maybe tougher job markets.

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You mentioned Gen Z men, in particular, are charting

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a different course. This rebellion in steel -toed

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boots. Yeah, it really seems like it. The numbers

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back it up pretty strongly. Between 2011 and

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2022, total college enrollment dropped by 1 .2

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million students. And get this, nearly a million

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of that drop was male students. That's according

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to Pew Research. A million fewer men going to

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college over that decade. Wow. And at the same

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time, enrollment in two -year public vocational

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programs. It's surged. Up over 20 % just since

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2020. That's over 850 ,000 new students pouring

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into those programs based on national student

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clearinghouse data. So a clear shift away from

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traditional college and towards trades. We're

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talking about plumbing. carpentry, welding, electrical.

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Exactly. Those kinds of hands -on skilled trades.

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And the appeal is lower cost, presumably. Definitely

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lower cost than a four -year degree, usually.

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But also, critically, they often lead directly

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to high -paying, stable careers. There's huge

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demand. Right. I saw the US Department of Labor

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noted that the median wage for some skilled trades

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now rivals or even exceeds many college -educated

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roles. That's right. The financial return can

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be quicker and, in some cases, higher, especially

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when you factor in and avoiding massive student

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debt. We have some great examples of this from

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a CNBC deep -dive piece. Yeah, really compelling

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stories. Take Morgan Bradbury. She was thinking

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engineering, maybe physical therapy, typical

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college paths. But then she tried welding for

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an Eagle Scout badge. And she said, quote, oh,

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fire. That sounds pretty fun. Ah, love that.

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Right. She got hooked on building things, enrolled

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in a nine -month welding course. Cost, $22 ,000.

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Fraction of a university cost. Tiny fraction.

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Huh. And before she even finished the course,

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age 19, she lands a job. Third -class welder

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at BAE Systems, earning $57 ,000 a year. Incredible.

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At 19. Dan, just two years later, she's already

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a second -class welder working on U .S. Navy

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ships. That's a tangible fast -track career.

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Absolutely highlights the immediate payoff and

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the progression potential. And then there's the

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other story. Chase Gallagher. A landskeeper.

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Yeah. Started his business at 18. By senior year

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of high school, his business is pulling in $125

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,000 in revenue. Wow. While still in high school.

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And he personally saved $120 ,000. So he faced

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that choice. College or invest in the business.

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What does his parents think? They had reservations,

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the article said. Wanted him to go to college.

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Understandable, given the traditional advice.

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But he chose the business. Poured the savings

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back into it. Fast forward to 2024. His company

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did over a million in sales. A million dollars.

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And his personal earnings, $491 ,000. OK, these

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aren't just edge cases then. This shows a real,

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viable, potentially very lucrative alternative

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path. Exactly. It's a shift in mindset, prioritizing

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practical skills, entrepreneurship, maybe faster

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financial independence over the traditional degree

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route. And it feels like this is reversing a

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previous trend, right? Weren't trades less popular

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for a while, maybe with millennials? Yeah, there

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was definitely a decline in interest over the

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past couple of decades. The Great Recession didn't

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help. It pushed a lot of people towards college

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thinking it was safer. But now the pendulum is

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swinging back. It seems so. And there's also

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federal policy nudging things along. All this

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talk about infrastructure investment. Right,

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the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, the GHES Act.

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Exactly. It highlights the massive need for skilled

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labor, especially as baby boomers and older Gen

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X workers are starting to retire in large numbers

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from these fields. The demand is huge. Hey, while

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you're taking all this in, just a quick reminder,

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don't forget to follow, subscribe, like, and

00:11:30.419 --> 00:11:32.539
comment on The Deep Dive. Your support really

00:11:32.539 --> 00:11:34.600
helps us keep exploring these important topics.

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OK, back to it. So we've talked about the rise

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of trades, the questioning of the degree, but

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it's not black and white, is it? There are counter

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arguments. Definitely. While some headlines might

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scream that the higher education payoff is dead,

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other sources paint a different picture, especially

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long term. Right. Several sources emphasize that

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if you look at lifetime earnings, college often

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still comes out far ahead. Like, potentially

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close to a million dollars more over an entire

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career compared to just a high school diploma.

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A million dollars is significant. It is. And

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a Pew Research study using 2022 data showed young

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men aged 24 -34 with a bachelor's degree had

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a median income of $77 ,000. Okay. Compared to

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$32 ,000 for those with only a high school degree

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in the same age group? That's a massive gap in

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current earnings too. So the immediate picture

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might be blurry. But the long -term financial

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argument for college still seems strong according

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to that data. It's definitely part of the conversation.

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And it's not just about money, right? What else?

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Well, the sources also point out that college

00:12:36.379 --> 00:12:39.000
typically opens doors to a vastly broader range

00:12:39.000 --> 00:12:41.980
of jobs, not just manual labor or trades, but

00:12:41.980 --> 00:12:44.899
professions across countless sectors. More options,

00:12:45.120 --> 00:12:47.759
potentially more flexibility later on. Potentially.

00:12:48.019 --> 00:12:49.799
And then there's the argument for college beyond

00:12:49.799 --> 00:12:53.419
just job skills training, the idea of education

00:12:53.419 --> 00:12:55.940
for its own sake. Developing critical thinking,

00:12:56.360 --> 00:12:58.519
broadening perspective. Exactly, preparing you

00:12:58.519 --> 00:13:01.379
to think, to adapt, to learn how to learn skills

00:13:01.379 --> 00:13:04.320
that are arguably more important than ever in

00:13:04.320 --> 00:13:06.960
a world that changes so fast. Okay, so the value

00:13:06.960 --> 00:13:09.500
proposition for college is still there, just

00:13:09.500 --> 00:13:12.940
maybe. Yeah. Different. Or needing closer examination.

00:13:13.240 --> 00:13:15.679
Perhaps, but the challenges for Gen Z job seekers

00:13:15.679 --> 00:13:18.740
are very real, regardless of their path. That

00:13:18.740 --> 00:13:20.600
Redditor quote you found really hits home. When

00:13:20.600 --> 00:13:22.379
everybody has a college degree, nobody has a

00:13:22.379 --> 00:13:25.179
college degree. Yeah. The dilution point again.

00:13:25.580 --> 00:13:28.039
And beyond that, the actual process of job hunting

00:13:28.039 --> 00:13:30.639
sounds incredibly frustrating right now. Our

00:13:30.639 --> 00:13:32.659
sources called the current market a disaster.

00:13:32.820 --> 00:13:35.159
A disaster. Yeah. Well, several things. There's

00:13:35.159 --> 00:13:39.440
frustration with AI filtering resumes, good candidates

00:13:39.440 --> 00:13:41.600
getting screened out by algorithm. Oh yeah, the

00:13:41.600 --> 00:13:44.820
black box of HR tech. Exactly. Then... Fake job

00:13:44.820 --> 00:13:47.360
listings companies posting roles they never intend

00:13:47.360 --> 00:13:49.700
to fill. Why would they do that? Maybe to collect

00:13:49.700 --> 00:13:52.740
resumes, gauge the market, look busy, who knows?

00:13:53.379 --> 00:13:56.500
But it wastes job seekers' time. Infuriating.

00:13:56.639 --> 00:13:59.159
And then these overkill interview processes.

00:13:59.740 --> 00:14:01.919
Multiple rounds, complex assignments, taking

00:14:01.919 --> 00:14:05.559
hours or days, ghosting. It's exhausting. No

00:14:05.559 --> 00:14:08.169
wonder people are discouraged. And you mentioned

00:14:08.169 --> 00:14:11.570
nearly half of Gen Z feel their education is

00:14:11.570 --> 00:14:14.350
already obsolete because of AI. Yeah, almost

00:14:14.350 --> 00:14:17.190
50%. That feeling that the goalposts are constantly

00:14:17.190 --> 00:14:19.210
moving, that what they learned is already out

00:14:19.210 --> 00:14:21.379
of date, it has another layer of anxiety. And

00:14:21.379 --> 00:14:23.299
let's not forget that Walden University's study

00:14:23.299 --> 00:14:26.460
finding Gen Z overall has the highest unemployment

00:14:26.460 --> 00:14:29.039
compared to Millennials and Gen X. Right. Even

00:14:29.039 --> 00:14:31.120
with this shift to trades, they're still navigating

00:14:31.120 --> 00:14:33.419
a really tough landscape overall. Millennials

00:14:33.419 --> 00:14:36.320
actually saw a 7 .5 unit decrease in unemployment

00:14:36.320 --> 00:14:39.120
compared to Gen Z in that study, and Gen X an

00:14:39.120 --> 00:14:42.360
8 .4 unit decrease. So context is important.

00:14:42.899 --> 00:14:45.259
While trades offer a promising route for some,

00:14:46.039 --> 00:14:49.080
the generation as a whole faces significant hurdles.

00:14:49.320 --> 00:14:52.659
Definitely. This whole shift, though, it feels

00:14:52.659 --> 00:14:55.659
less like just a reaction to bad circumstances

00:14:55.659 --> 00:14:58.899
and more like a strategic recalibration. How

00:14:58.899 --> 00:15:03.710
so? Gen Z seems to be actively consciously seeking

00:15:03.710 --> 00:15:06.970
alternatives. Trade schools, yes, but also entrepreneurship

00:15:06.970 --> 00:15:09.590
like Chase Gallagher, digital upscaling, boot

00:15:09.590 --> 00:15:13.210
camps. They're looking for paths that offer tangible

00:15:13.210 --> 00:15:15.309
security and maybe more personal fulfillment.

00:15:15.509 --> 00:15:17.570
It feels proactive, not just reactive. I think

00:15:17.570 --> 00:15:19.370
so. And it's a powerful move. It could inject

00:15:19.370 --> 00:15:21.470
real dynamism into the economy, open up different

00:15:21.470 --> 00:15:23.750
kinds of opportunities. Like one expert put it,

00:15:23.830 --> 00:15:25.610
sometimes the smartest thing you can do is admit

00:15:25.610 --> 00:15:27.269
you made a mistake and pivot. Maybe that's what

00:15:27.269 --> 00:15:29.169
we're seeing on a generational scale. What an

00:15:29.169 --> 00:15:31.490
absolutely fascinating deep dive today into Gen

00:15:31.490 --> 00:15:35.049
Z grads. shifting employment landscape. So much

00:15:35.049 --> 00:15:36.950
to unpack there. It really feels like we're watching

00:15:36.950 --> 00:15:40.509
a profound reevaluation of what we consider a

00:15:40.509 --> 00:15:43.389
valuable education and what defines a successful

00:15:43.389 --> 00:15:46.059
career path. Absolutely. This shift is forcing

00:15:46.059 --> 00:15:48.559
a really crucial conversation, isn't it, about

00:15:48.559 --> 00:15:51.500
balancing traditional academics, practical skills,

00:15:51.620 --> 00:15:53.919
and just the raw demands of the modern workforce.

00:15:54.480 --> 00:15:57.299
The trends are pretty undeniable. Gen Z is actively

00:15:57.299 --> 00:15:59.379
forging new paths. They seem driven by a really

00:15:59.379 --> 00:16:01.759
sharp eye for return on investment, but also,

00:16:01.860 --> 00:16:04.100
I think, a desire for work that feels meaningful

00:16:04.100 --> 00:16:06.759
and stable. So we want to leave you, our listeners,

00:16:07.200 --> 00:16:09.019
with maybe a provocative thought to chew on.

00:16:09.179 --> 00:16:11.899
In this world where those old clear lines between

00:16:11.899 --> 00:16:14.820
education, skills, and career success are getting

00:16:14.820 --> 00:16:17.899
blurrier by the day, what does financial empowerment

00:16:17.899 --> 00:16:20.340
and fulfillment actually look like for you? Is

00:16:20.340 --> 00:16:22.700
it about sticking to that predetermined blueprint?

00:16:23.340 --> 00:16:25.580
Or is it about being bold enough to chart your

00:16:25.580 --> 00:16:28.179
own course, even if that means picking up a totally

00:16:28.179 --> 00:16:31.019
new tool or starting a business in your garage?

00:16:31.600 --> 00:16:33.659
Thank you so much for joining us on the deep

00:16:33.659 --> 00:16:36.279
dive today. We really hope this exploration gave

00:16:36.279 --> 00:16:38.500
you some valuable insights for navigating this

00:16:38.500 --> 00:16:41.220
constantly evolving employment landscape. And

00:16:41.220 --> 00:16:42.919
hey, if you want to keep digging into complex

00:16:42.919 --> 00:16:45.080
topics just like this one, please make sure to

00:16:45.080 --> 00:16:47.299
follow, subscribe, maybe leave us a review. It

00:16:47.299 --> 00:16:49.740
really helps. And check out other deep dives

00:16:49.740 --> 00:16:52.139
from the road to financial empowerment by empowering

00:16:52.139 --> 00:16:55.120
your finance. Until next time, keep learning,

00:16:55.700 --> 00:16:58.460
keep questioning, and keep driving your own financial

00:16:58.460 --> 00:16:58.840
future.