Jobs that new college grads are and are not landing

The U.S. labor market is currently characterized by a "low hire, low fire" stagnation that disproportionately impacts entry-level job seekers and recent college graduates. While the overall unemployment rate remains low at 4.3%, recent graduates face a higher rate of 5.6% and an increasingly automated application landscape filled with bots and "ghost jobs." Laura Ulrich, director of economic research at Indeed, notes that job prospects vary significantly by major; tech and data science postings have dropped 30% due to AI uncertainty and previous over-hiring, whereas civil engineering and healthcare roles remain elevated. Despite increased competition and stagnant hiring in white-collar sectors, opportunities persist in skilled trades and specialized engineering. Students at Howard University report high anxiety and the need for hundreds of applications to secure positions, reflecting a broader economic uncertainty index that makes employers hesitant to expand their workforce.