University Graduates Unable to Find Jobs

By Dalexi Carrillo

Even though more and more high school students pursue a higher education and many study beyond the four-year bachelor degree, a rising number of university graduates still find it difficult to find a job in today’s workforce. With employment rates and starting salaries plummeting, graduates ask themselves if the higher education is even worth it.

The United States is slowly recovering from a recession that hurt the country’s economy and the pockets of many Americans. Consequently, those who once had high paying jobs in top corporations now do not and are hired by companies with a lower paying salary. Due to the slow down of the economy, wages and salaries have also plummeted leading to many unsatisfied workers. Those who have fought the cuts in salaries have been easily replaced by people who may or may not be qualified for the job. Three years later, the effects of the 2007-2009 Recession still continue to negatively impact the careers of those freshly out of college.

“Many of my buddies who have just graduated in May still can’t find a job, not even a low paying one. The one or two who actually do have a job, are ones that are not even related to their major,” Brian Yanez, a recent graduate of Hoftra University stated. “I even feel that those with decent jobs got them through connections or just when they happened to graduate. It’s just luck,” he continued to say.

Young people are forced to deal with the hardships of this economy and the consequences are apparent. According to the New York Times, during the years of 2006 and 2007, 90% of college graduates had jobs by the following spring. However, currently, only 56% of graduates hold at least one job. Inclusively, half of those that found a job did not require a college degree anyway. Thus, current college students wonder if further education, more specifically graduate school, is even worth the time and money. Many are starting to believe that opportunities are similar with or without a graduate degree and would prefer to work, that is if they find a job, rather than spend more years in school wasting money they do not have.

The best advice for current university students is to pick a major that will make it easier for them to find a job down the line. The choice of major is quite important and certain ones, like teaching and engineering, have more jobs available than others, such as humanities. “The whole situation is scary,” Rhianna Sefferian, a Trumbull High senior, admitted. “I know that the job market is not looking so great so I know that choosing the appropriate career will open doors and make me more marketable. I want to pursue something I love and something that will provide me a future,” she continued to say.

Many young adults find themselves in their parents’ house right after college. This, which once was an embarrassment, is now turning into something common. Unfortunately, it delays the pattern of American life where one hopes, by their early thirties, to support a family and own a house. The country that once granted countless opportunities now is not able to provide a bright future for the next generation of workers.