42% of Grads Have a Job That Doesn't Need Their Degree

If you graduated this year and the search has gone badly, you were probably told the market collapsed. It did not.

Employers told the National Association of Colleges and Employers in April that they expect to hire more from this year's class than the one before it. The comparable figure last autumn was negative, so that is an eight point swing upward.

The gains are concentrated at the largest employers. Firms with more than 5,000 people are increasing graduate hiring by 8.7%. If you are applying to small and mid-size companies, the recovery being reported is not happening where you are looking.

So why does it feel empty? Because the quoted number is the wrong one. Unemployment among recent graduates sits in the mid fives. Underemployment is 42%, meaning working a job that does not typically require a bachelor's degree. Employed. Earning. Not using the credential.

That is not a gap in the market. It is the shape of the market, and it calls for the opposite tactics. Roles that do not require a degree are easier to get: shorter processes, lower bars, faster yes. Optimize for volume and you select into them.

The full argument, including the three things to screen for on a posting before you apply, is in the post this video came from.