Marketplace All-in-One A tricky time to be a recent college grad
Nov 26, 2025
Carla Javier, a Marketplace reporter specializing in labor and education economics, discusses new research revealing that the job market advantage of college graduates is shrinking. She explores pandemic impacts and AI's role in shifting hiring patterns. Also featured is Susan Schmidt, Senior Portfolio Manager at Exchange Capital Resources, who highlights concerns over stock market concentration linked to a few tech giants like NVIDIA, while mentioning the potential U.S.-Taiwan trade deal in semiconductors.
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College Advantage Is Narrowing
- College degrees still deliver higher pay and job security compared with only a high school diploma.
- But the unemployment and job-finding time gap between recent grads and high-school grads has narrowed significantly.
Multiple Forces Shrink Graduate Edge
- The shrinking advantage reflects pandemic hiring swings, economic cycles, and a larger pool of college graduates.
- Some sectors that once favored degree holders, like accounting and HR, are hiring less than before.
Think Twice Before More Schooling
- Consider pursuing further education if entry hiring is weak, but understand it's a gamble on future labor markets.
- Weigh the cost and uncertain payoff before delaying entry into the workforce, says Ali Bustamante.