How has protesting shaped Gen Z's coming of age?
404 Gen Zer Rebecca Castillo talked to some of the Gen Z crowd in downtown L.A. to learn more about their relationship with protesting.
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Business Insider
2 hours ago
- Business Insider
Gen Z is hurtling toward a career cliff
Jacqueline Kline was a proud overachiever in college. She enrolled in a packed class schedule, attended campus networking events, landed an impressive slate of internships, and graduated cum laude from Florida State University. Then, after her 2023 graduation celebrations wound down, Kline found herself back in her childhood bedroom. Over the next year, she applied to hundreds of communications and media jobs between babysitting shifts. The responses were deflating: Some companies sent quick rejections, others turned her away after a couple of interviews, but most simply ghosted her. "I graduated, but I didn't feel successful," the now 24-year-old told me. "I had this degree — and that's a privilege, not everyone has that opportunity — but it didn't matter. My GPA didn't matter. None of it mattered if I didn't have a job." It's a tough time to look for work. For 20-somethings, breaking into the market is particularly daunting. Companies and consumers are bracing for an economic slowdown, and employees are hesitant to leave their current gigs. Federal policy uncertainty is spooking businesses, and white-collar industries are not the safe career bets they used to be. The tried-and-true ways that young people used to climb the economic ladder are disappearing, and AI is threatening to replace entry-level work in enviable fields like tech. President Donald Trump's cost-cutting efforts have wiped out jobs in government agencies, nonprofits, and public health. Law school applications are ballooning beyond what the industry can sustain, and humanitarian routes like AmeriCorps and the Peace Corps are among the White House DOGE office's latest targets. It all leaves young people — even those who spent their teen and university years positioning themselves for the future — barreling toward a career cliff. So, what's an ambitious Gen Zer to do? Kline is finishing her second year of graduate school at FSU. She said she gave up looking for full-time work because "the burnout was definitely real" and decided to take out student loans to pursue her master's. Many of her friends are also facing tough decisions: Commit to a tall stack of job applications, go back to get another degree, or settle for a role outside their chosen field. Each option feels risky. set of circumstances. As Richard Mansfield, an economics professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, put it, Gen Z has "a whole lot of clouds on the horizon." Based on the Federal Reserve Bank of New York's analysis of census data, 41.2% of graduates in their early and mid-20s were underemployed in March, meaning they were working jobs that don't typically require a bachelor's degree. That's up from 38.9% in December. And Ivy alums aren't immune: In January, The Wall Street Journal reported that job placement at more than a dozen top MBA programs was the worst "in recent memory" last year. Notably, Harvard told the Journal that 23% of its job-seeking MBAs who graduated in spring 2024 were still looking for work three months after leaving campus, a figure that was up from 20% in the prior year and more than double what it was in 2022. Higher education may be known for its historical role as a path to prestige and higher pay, but Gen Zers are wondering whether it's worth it anymore. Bella Babbitt, 21, graduated a year early from a private New York liberal arts school with a dual degree in business and sociology in 2024. She hoped her internships and the fact that she completed her bachelor's in just three years would help her to land a role in media strategy and to eventually start her own business. She spent a year applying to hundreds of roles without luck while taking on odd jobs to make money, such as waiting tables and delivering food. More recently, she's worked at a marketing firm owned by a family friend. She "truly believes" the reason she's employed is because of that personal connection. "I was applying and I felt like, 'This is so stupid because I know I'm going to get rejected,'" she said, adding, "My parents have such a different mindset, where they can't comprehend how we've applied to all these jobs and we're not getting anything." Historically reliable prestige jobs are facing challenges, too. In tech, hopeful grads are being boxed out of entry-level positions not only by AI, but also by hiring freezes. In law, US firms' hiring of entry-level summer associates is hitting a historic low. Even "stopgap" roles that were stepping stones to bigger things are evaporating: From the start of 2023 to the start of 2025, internship postings on the college job-search platform Handshake declined by over 15%. When Gen Zers are ready to take the leap into a larger role, they're finding themselves stuck — young people can't fill desks because older generations are delaying plans to quit and retire, leaving new grads on the lower rung of the career ladder for longer. It's leaving Abbey Owens discouraged. She graduated summa cum laude last month from a liberal arts college with a record of marketing internships, good grades, and a slew of unanswered applications. After months on the job hunt, the 21-year-old said she's thinking about bartending and losing hope of finding a role in her field: "I'll accept almost anything," she told me. Babbitt and Owens describe the pain of continuous rejection — a stream of "no's" that drags on for months or years, application after application. Their experience is a symptom of a landscape with a dwindling number of job postings and lower hiring rates. One in five job seekers is considered long-term unemployed, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, meaning they've been out of work for 27 weeks or longer. Even Gen Zers who are trying to follow their passions into less pressure-packed jobs than finance and tech are facing tough times. Young people dedicated to public service or academia, where there is an implicit exchange of stability in place of bigger salaries, are staring at an uncertain road. A 21-year-old University of Maryland student (who asked not to be named for fear of career retaliation) told me they'd lost two roles because of federal government cuts. This spring, they were interning at the Transportation Security Administration before being let go after DOGE prompted cuts of the agency's remote work contracts. Their summer internship — a coveted role at an intelligence agency — was canceled the following week. "I think it's just important for people to know how shocking all of this is," they said, adding, "There's a whole new wave of talented young individuals who are excited about public service who are being denied opportunities and thrown to the dirt." Now, without a summer job, they're likely to stay in their hometown and scoop ice cream or take shifts at a coffee shop, they said. They have two years left at Maryland, and they're rethinking their dream of working in government. Other public sector options aren't promising, either. As part of DOGE 's work, federal agencies are under a hiring freeze, AmeriCorps is pausing programs, the Peace Corps is cutting staff, and federally funded roles at nonprofits, science labs, and public health centers are vanishing. Amid the rising sense of doom, Mansfield cautions that the Zoomer labor market outlook is complicated — and economists don't yet have a full picture. Hard indicators show the economy is relatively healthy on paper: The US added a higher-than-expected number of jobs in May, inflation is getting under control, and the unemployment rate is low. Mansfield said that "the data hasn't caught up yet" to reflect the loss of entry-level opportunities that many new grads are experiencing. "It's not as if we're running out of useful things for young, educated people to do," he said. "It's just that we're undermining our mechanisms for getting them there." While Gen Z might seem headed toward a careerpocalypse, economists and labor market analysts told me the cruelest part was that this instability wasn't inevitable. Elise Gould, a senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute, said Gen Zers were almost set up for success. Gould's analysis of labor market data from May indicates that even after adjusting for inflation, 16- to 24-year-old workers experienced historically strong wage growth of 9.1% from February 2020 to March of this year, a figure that exceeded wage growth for workers 25 and older (5.4%). The cohort was set to have lower average unemployment rates and better job opportunities than every other set of young workers since the 1990s. But the rosy picture has rapidly worsened. Job prospects for 22- to 27-year-olds with a bachelor's degree or higher " deteriorated noticeably" in the first quarter of this year, per the New York Fed, and the recent-grad gap — the difference between the overall unemployment rate and the unemployment rate for people who recently graduated from college — just hit its widest point in at least 40 years. It's worth noting that previous generations have faced tough labor markets: Some baby boomers launched their careers in the middle of the 1970s stagflation, and millennials were looking for jobs in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. But Gen Zers are seeing the start of a troubling trend. Educated Zoomers, specifically, are now more unemployed than the rest of America, something that didn't happen early in the pandemic, during the Great Recession, or in the midst of the dot-com crash. "When the overall unemployment rate goes up a little bit more, I don't think people always understand that that is what happens: the 'last hired, first fired' phenomenon," Gould said, adding: "What are you going to do at that point? You've gone into debt going to school, you've already decided your major, you've already made all those investments. It's very hard to shift." The economists I spoke with emphasized that there were solutions to the Gen Z career cliff, but things may get worse before they get better. Mansfield said some sectors, like caregiving and healthcare, could see increased labor demand as baby boomers and Gen Xers grow older — even if those opportunities aren't as attractive to people trained to do something else, like law or finance. He added that as AI becomes more integrated into the economy, Gen Zers and later generations will most likely start to find roles in careers that don't exist yet. Kline, the recent Florida State grad, is banking on some sort of turnaround. Even as opportunities for people with advanced degrees dry up, she thinks the master's and some more internships will make her resumé that much more attractive to prospective employers. "I'm reminding myself that it will be worth it, taking all these loans will be worth it, because having this master's degree will get me further and give me a better chance at a job opportunity," Kline said, adding. "Before I came back to school, that was one of the loneliest times of my life." Market conditions are changing how ambitious Gen Zers see themselves and their work. It isn't just about whether they can land a job after graduation. A lot of people my age feel that open doors older generations took for granted — having access to homeownership and retirement, affording kids or healthcare or further education — are being locked alongside our career paths. It's part of why young people are becoming less loyal to the grind, or giving up on traditionally white collar careers altogether. It's also why Isabella Clemmens, 22, is betting on herself. After graduating from Oregon State in May, she's moving to Austin to try out a new city, meet friends, attend concerts, and try living on her own. When Clemmens and I spoke a few weeks ago, she was planning to work in retail until her growing stack of applications landed her a branding or graphic design role. After four years of hard work, she hadn't expected her job hunt to be so challenging. To kick off postgrad life in Texas, though, she would have to make concessions. "My dream job might exist," she told me. "But I'm one of 400 people applying for it."
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Civic Season makes civics fun and accessible for everyone
CHEYENNE — Calling all history buffs and civics connoisseurs. Get ready to engage in peaceful discussions, dive deep into America's democracy and learn the ways you can make a difference civically in your community with this year's Civic Season. In partnership with the Laramie County Library, Wyoming Women's History House, Braver Angels of Laramie County, Cheyenne League of Women Voters and Wyoming Humanities, the Wyoming State Museum is hosting six Civic Season events this year on various days from June 17 to July 2; one will be in Laramie, and five will be in Cheyenne. Civic Season is a national initiative started by Gen Z and cultural institutions as a way to celebrate and unite one of the nation's oldest federal holidays, Independence Day, with one of the newest, Juneteenth, creating a movement for everyone, especially younger generations, to understand their past and how to shape the future. The ultimate goal was to make civics fun and approachable, rather than something seen as dreadful. With an increase in younger generations feeling more pessimistic, disconnected and uninspired about American civics and democracy, Civic Season was seen as important to these institutions. That's also one of the many reasons the crew at the Wyoming State Museum and Melisa McChesney, their curator of community engagement, put on these Civic Season events. McChesney said she'd heard about the event at the national level and thought it was a cool thing to integrate into the community, especially with the Wyoming State Museum and state Capitol being right in the heart of downtown Cheyenne. This is the fourth year that Civic Season is happening in Cheyenne, and the first year the museum has been able to expand outside of the capital city. They want to keep growing the event, and were originally going to have an event in Casper, but couldn't due to scheduling conflicts. They want to eventually have events across the whole state, and with Gov. Mark Gordon signing a proclamation to make June 17th the start of Civic Season in Wyoming, that may be more likely than ever. 'We're coming up on (America's 250th birthday), and history organizations, especially, want to be able to kind of look back and celebrate that history, while also acknowledging our current times. They know that people are feeling disconnected from civics and overwhelmed or stressed in the current conditions. The goal is to get people involved in a way that feels good to them and helps them envision a future for the country that they can be excited about and proud of.' The programs offered According to McChesney, each event offered is 'quite different' from one another, but they all serve the same goal of being joyful and providing a space where the community can connect and grow. '(The Civic Season events) look at individuals' strengths and beliefs and give them pathways to be involved based on what they're interested in,' said McChesney. 'It's trying to push for those easy entry points and provide a wide range view of what civics looks like so that everybody can find their place in it.' The season kicks off with a Civic Chat event on Tuesday, June 17 titled 'Today's Superheroes Guiding Tomorrow's Changemakers.' It will take place at the Laramie County Library starting at 5:30 p.m. The program is shaped around the four civic superpowers: nurturing, amplifying, connecting and defending. The people speaking will be nurturer Melissa Martin, chair of the Laramie County Better Together Action Team; amplifier JoLynn Paulsen, content manager at Arts Cheyenne and marketing assistant at Cheyenne Civic Center; connector Milward Simpson, an arts and humanities advocate who builds partnerships, connects with local artists, and works alongside educators and historians; and defender Marguerite Herman, a legislative lobbyist with decades of experience engaging with state government and leaders. They will each have a 10-minute chat with a young community member, share their experiences, give advice and explore the way that their 'superpower' helps them civically in the community. McChesney explained that the goal was to have people in the audience learn from those in the community who are 'already doing good work' and possibly see themselves in them. The second event is titled 'A Slice of History: Unity in Action,' and will be at the Wyoming State Museum on Thursday, June 19, beginning at 6:30 p.m. The pizza party and educational event will begin with a quick round of trivia on civil rights, Juneteenth and Black history in Wyoming and around the country. Participants will also hear a quick presentation on the significance of Juneteenth and why Cheyenne is celebrating it as a part of Cheyenne's annual Civic Season programming. The Rev. Dr. Hilton McClendon and Jim Byrd will both speak at the event. Then, there will be a moderated, peaceful debate hosted by Braver Angels at the library on June 24. The event will have people speak on whether they feel the government should regulate social media or not. McChesney said that last year 50 people attended a similar debate-style event, with Braver Angels spearheading that, as well. There's also no winner; this is a time for people to open their minds to differing perspectives. On June 25 at the Wyoming Women's History House in Laramie, there'll be another Slice of History event focused on women's suffrage in Wyoming. The talk will be given by Kylie McCormick, a young historian who will be bringing people back to 1869, when Wyoming made history as the first U.S. territory to give women the right to vote, sparking the nation to follow the state's lead 51 years later. For the fifth event on June 26, they're offering 'Democracy Under Construction.' The event is essentially a game of Jenga, with different thought-provoking prompts about civics and democracy written on the blocks. The goal is to share perspectives on the topic with the other people at your table. This is a Wyoming Humanities program designed to help Wyomingites better understand the history and current issues impacting democracy in the U.S. while testing people's ability to think critically about social and political issues. To cap off the season, right before the Fourth of July is the Civic Season Festival on July 2. McCormick will speak again, as well as local students who were part of the We the People civics competition this year and the civic education program Girls State sharing their experiences and why the programs matter. Laramie County Clerk Debra Lee will speak later in the night about her overseas experience with free and fair elections, and state Rep. Lee Filer will discuss what inspired him to run for office. The festival will have live music from Laramie-based band Winston Creek, as well as food and beer vendors. At every event, people will be entered into an event raffle to possibly win a $50 Visa gift card. 'I think as soon as you enter the (civics) realm, people get a little defensive because they're afraid that you're going to try to convince them of something, and they want to be able to shape their own opinions and make their own choices,' said McChesney. 'I think people worry that we're going to be shoving some sort of belief or structure down their throat ... but people can come to our event knowing that we're not pushing a message. 'We just want them to feel like they have the skill set and the space to stand up for their own beliefs, and show them that it doesn't have to feel like work. ... Civics isn't as simple as voting or writing a letter to your legislators. There's all of these different ways we can be better parts of our community, whether it be volunteering at a food bank or offering to paint murals on walls because you want to see a more beautiful artistic community.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
GOP Rep. James Comer's Startling 'Shut Up' Command At Maxwell Frost Speaks Volumes
Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) told Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) to 'shut up' during an oversight hearing on Capitol Hill this week — and the moment spoke volumes. During Thursday's House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing, Frost asked whether Comer, the committee chair, would commit on the record to subpoenaing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem regarding an incident that took place with Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) that same day. Padilla was roughed up and handcuffed as he was forcibly removed from Noem's press conference in Los Angeles, where she discussed the immigration raids happening in the region. Padilla was approached by two men who pushed him out of the room after he tried to speak up about the raids, according to video footage of the conference. The senator could be heard identifying himself as he was being forcibly removed. Video also shows officers forcing Padilla to the ground in a hallway. Frost repeatedly brought up the incident during Thursday's hearing as Comer attempted to let Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) speak. 'Reclaiming my time!' Greene said repeatedly, before launching into a rant about Republicans being 'in charge.' 'Shut up! Just shut up!' Comer eventually snapped at Frost. 'No, you're not going to tell me to shut up,' Frost responded. Comer then accused Frost of trying to get on network TV before Greene jumped in and called the Florida Democrat a 'former Antifa member.' Frost asked for Greene's false accusations be taken down from the hearing record. (Watch a clip of the exchange here.) MSNBC's Symone Sanders-Townsend wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that she thought Comer's behavior was unusual. 'Congressman Frost is the youngest member on this panel,' she said about the 28-year-old, who became the first Gen Z member of Congress when he was elected in 2022. 'I've never heard Congressman Comer tell another member to 'shut up' before — especially during committee hearing.' 'Comer doubles down in the video and that to me says he thinks his comments are warranted,' she continued. 'They are not. They are inappropriate.' Collin Anderson, a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Political Science at the University at Buffalo, noted that the exchange said a lot about the 'mounting anger between members of the two parties' — and that it's not a good look for voters at home to witness. Anderson told HuffPost that the context of the situation at Thursday's hearing is important. He said the exchange between Frost and Comer in 'isolation' might've not been anything 'too remarkable.' But it's clear that 'tensions are high in the Capitol' considering that Frost was trying to discuss the incident with Padilla during the heated moment through Greene's 'unwarranted and unfounded interjections.' He added that what happened with Padilla at the Noem press conference is 'essentially uncharted territory for the government and America.' Anderson said that as committee chair, it's within Comer's power to call members to order, and that it's not uncommon for committee chairs to quiet down other members of Congress — though 'it's usually done a little more diplomatically.' 'Shouting matches have become more normalized in the past 10-15 years than they were previously,' Anderson said. And while Anderson pointed out that in a 'very technical sense' Frost was 'out of order' due to rules and procedures that are set forth for hearings, Comer has 'a lot of leeway on how to handle things' — and there are other ways he could have addressed the situation 'rather than shouting for Rep. Frost to shut up.' 'Marjorie Taylor Greene was also out of order and wasn't dressed down by Rep. Comer, which seems to suggest some unfair treatment against Rep. Frost,' he said. Overall, Anderson doesn't think Thursday's hearing put any positive light on lawmakers. 'The behavior displayed in the House Oversight Committee is not behavior that Americans should be particularly proud of or want out of any of their elected officials,' he said. GOP Rep. James Comer Snaps At Democrat Maxwell Frost: 'Shut Up! Just Shut Up!' Democrats Push Republicans For Kristi Noem Testimony On Alex Padilla Incident GOP Strategist Warns Republicans Alex Padilla Incident Sets 'Dangerous Precedent'
