Slate Daily Feed Death, Sex & Money | Why Job Hunting Feels So Grim Lately, Especially for Gen Z
Sep 30, 2025
Brendan Liaw, a recent Jeopardy! champion and aspiring law student, opens up about job hunting while humorously noting his 'stay-at-home son' status. Journalist Nitish Pahwa discusses the economic hurdles like automation and hiring freezes that complicate job searches for many. Writer Melanie Ehrenkranz shares her personal experiences with layoffs, addressing the emotional toll and ongoing stigma. Together, they unpack the grim reality of job hunting today and offer insights on finding community and reclaiming identity after job loss.
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College Degrees No Guarantee
- Early-career jobseekers feel intense scarcity despite low headline unemployment because hiring has slowed and long-term unemployment is rising.
- A growing share of the long-term unemployed now hold degrees, worsening early-career prospects.
Stay-At-Home Son On Jeopardy
- Brendan Liaw told producers on Jeopardy he was a "Stay-at-Home Son" because he was unemployed after grad school.
- He leaned into the joke publicly as a way to stand out and signal his situation.
The Post‑Pandemic Hiring Shock
- Post-pandemic shifts and economic tightening created fewer entry-level roles and frozen hiring at previously fast-growing firms.
- The era of cheap capital enabled rapid hiring and startup growth that no longer exists.