CHARLOTTE — Charles McWhite embraced his college experience, balancing academics with internships, all while directing his university’s gospel choir. He started applying for jobs in human resources before graduation last December, but he has hit a wall.
“I’ve made it all the way to the hiring, to the interview process. And then after that it’s just crickets a lot of times,” McWhite said.
He’s hardly alone.
The National Association of Colleges and Employers found that the Class of 2025 submitted more job applications than the Class of 2024, but received fewer offers.
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York says the unemployment rate for recent graduates is at 5.6%, higher than the national average of 4.3%.
“The economy’s a little bit uncertain, price of living’s higher. And so people that normally would’ve retired are staying in their jobs longer,” said Ron Whittington with Careersource in northeast Florida.
Whittington says we’re in a “wait-and-see” economy. But he added that artificial intelligence is quickly reshaping the workforce, eliminating some jobs while also creating new ones.
Eric Richman with the University of North Florida says tech skills do matter, but she says graduates should never underestimate the power of a real conversation.
“Create connections in places that you maybe haven’t looked whether that’s at your gym, whether that’s at a happy hour, whether that’s at an alumni networking meeting,” Richman said.
For grads taking jobs outside of their field while they wait, experts say it’s not a waste.
“Learning doesn’t stop when you’re out of college. It keeps going and going,” Whittington said. “The more you can pick up at different employers and on different skills, the stronger you’ll be overall as a candidate.”
McWhite is networking, expanding his job search to business analytics, and staying positive.
“I feel like the climate is going to improve,” McWhite said. “We are the next generation that sets the precedent for the next 50 years in this country.”