Trending Now - Study: Remote Work, Not AI, Hinders Job Prospects for Gen-z
WHO:
Inc - Researchers from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York conducted the study.
Fast Company - Young college graduates are identified as the group facing challenges in the job market.
WHAT:
Fortune - The unemployment rate for college graduates younger than 29 climbed from 3.1% to 3.7% over the past nine years.
Fortune - Recent graduates aged 22 to 27 are currently dealing with an unemployment rate of 5.6% as of March, which is higher than the general unemployment rate of 4.2%.
Fortune - Feedback on coding work increased 18.3% when workers were in the office, improving the quality of output.
Inc - The study found that work-from-home setups may be fueling the unemployment rate among recent college graduates.
Fast Company - By the end of 2025, unemployment among young college graduates had soared to 5.6%.
Fast Company - The unemployment rate for young workers increased by nearly one percentage point in sectors where remote work is feasible from 2017 to 2019 and 2022 to 2024.
Fast Company - Overall unemployment among young workers jumped by 20% between 2022 and 2025, reaching 3.7%.
Fast Company - Researchers estimated that remote work was responsible for about 64% of the uptick in unemployment among recent college graduates.
WHERE:
Fast Company - The study analyzed federal data on the labor force in the United States.
WHEN:
Fast Company - The unemployment rate for young workers increased from 2017 to 2019 and 2022 to 2024.
Fast Company - The unemployment rate among young workers was reported to have reached 5.6% by the end of 2025.
WHY:
Fortune - Economists suggest that companies operating on distributed teams have become less willing to hire young workers requiring mentorship, preferring to hire older and more experienced staff instead.
Fast Company - The rise of remote work may be working against young college graduates, as employers are less likely to hire them for remote jobs.
Fast Company - The lack of mentorship in remote arrangements has been cited as a reason for the challenges faced by young workers.
HOW:
Fortune - A working paper by economists at the London School of Economics and the University of Oxford found that entry-level hiring has plummeted between 14% and 29% across various countries, while senior hiring has risen 5% to 21%.
Fast Company - The study included a case study of a Fortune 500 company, which showed that software engineers received less feedback when working remotely, impacting young workers more significantly.
Fast Company - The company favored hiring more experienced workers during the pandemic but shifted to hiring more young employees once offices reopened.
(UPDATED June 3, 2026 04:24 UTC)
The unemployment rate for college graduates younger than 29 has increased from 3.1% to 3.7% over the past nine years, with recent graduates aged 22 to 27 facing an unemployment rate of 5.6%, which is notably higher than the general rate of 4.2%. Economists attribute this trend to companies with distributed teams being less inclined to hire young workers who need mentorship, opting instead for older, more experienced candidates. A working paper from economists at the London School of Economics and the University of Oxford reveals that entry-level hiring has dropped between 14% and 29% across various countries, while senior hiring has seen a rise of 5% to 21%.
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(UPDATED June 2, 2026 21:53 UTC)
Researchers from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York have found that work-from-home setups may be contributing to rising unemployment rates among recent college graduates, with the rate reaching 5.6% by the end of 2025. The study indicates that remote work has been responsible for about 64% of the increase in unemployment for this group, as young workers face challenges like a lack of mentorship and less feedback from employers. Additionally, the overall unemployment rate for young workers surged by 20% between 2022 and 2025, highlighting the difficulties they encounter in the evolving job market.