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1 correction found
30-40% of them are unemployed
That unemployment figure is far too high. Recent college graduates’ unemployment was about 5.7% in Q1 2026; roughly 41.5% were underemployed, which is a different measure.
Full reasoning
This appears to confuse unemployment with underemployment.
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s regularly updated tracker for recent college graduates says that in 2026:Q1:
- the unemployment rate was about 5.7%
- the underemployment rate was 41.5%
So a claim that 30–40% are unemployed is not supported by the underlying labor-market data for new grads. A number in that range is much closer to the underemployment rate, which counts graduates working in jobs that typically do not require a college degree.
A broader official Bureau of Labor Statistics measure also points the same way: in April 2026, the unemployment rate for people age 25+ with a bachelor’s degree or higher was 2.8%, not anywhere near 30–40%.
In short: college graduates have faced a weaker labor market, but saying 30–40% are unemployed substantially overstates the unemployment rate and likely mixes it up with underemployment.
2 sources
- The Labor Market for Recent College Graduates - Federal Reserve Bank of New York
2026:Q1 Quarterly Highlights: Labor market conditions continued to be challenging for recent college graduates at the start of 2026. The unemployment rate remained elevated at about 5.7 percent in the first quarter of 2026, though the underemployment rate edged down to 41.5 percent.
- Unemployment rate remains lower for people with more education - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
In April 2026, the unemployment rate was 2.8 percent for people with a bachelor's degree and higher, compared with 3.2 percent for people with some college or an associate degree, 4.7 percent for high school graduates, and 6.4 percent for those without a high school diploma.