Graduates face rising unemployment as AI adoption and Trump tariffs slow hiring and extend job searches.
Recent college graduates are facing the toughest job market in decades, as artificial intelligence adoption and uncertainty over President Trump’s tariffs slow hiring across multiple industries.
“Companies are in a wait-and-see mentality with tariffs and the economy,” said Beth Hendler-Grunt, president of New Jersey-based Next Great Step. “As a result, they are hesitant to hire and are looking to AI to automate many entry-level tasks.”
Experts say job searches that once took two to three months now stretch to six, while the unemployment rate for recent graduates has risen to 5.3%, compared with 4% for all workers.
“It’s the toughest entry point for new grads since the late 1980s,” said Sam Wright of Huntr, a Seattle-based AI job search platform.
White House spokesman Kush Desai defended administration policies, saying President Trump’s “America First” agenda will “deliver again” through deregulation, tax cuts and trade deals. Still, analysts warn conditions may worsen before improving.
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