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Time of India
18-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Job market mayhem: Whether you're 22 or 52, job searching in 2025 is a total nightmare
The employment landscape in the United States is challenging in 2025. Young graduates struggle to find entry-level positions. Mid-career professionals face layoffs and a shrinking middle management. Older Americans postpone retirement due to financial constraints. Gen Z deals with broken promises. Millennials and Gen X navigate disappearing roles. Boomers work longer than planned. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Why are Gen Z grads struggling so much? Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads What's happening to middle management? Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Why can't older Americans retire? FAQs Looking for a job in 2025? You are not alone if it feels more difficult than ever. From recent college graduates to baby boomers postponing retirement, the struggle to find or keep a job affects every generation. The market is tight, competition is fierce, and no one appears job market in the United States in 2025 will affect people of all ages. Gen Z is losing entry-level jobs, millennials and Gen X are in a thinning middle, and boomers are postponing retirement. Each age group is dealing with this bleak employment landscape, as per a report by Business those just starting out, the post-college dream is fading fast. Take 21-year-old Bella Babbitt, for example. A 2024 graduate who earned her degree in just three years, she applied to hundreds of jobs and spent months waiting tables before finally landing a media role, through a family connection, not job boards. 'My parents can't understand how we're applying everywhere and hearing nothing,' she Federal Reserve confirmed what many in Gen Z already knew: the job market for 22-to-27-year-olds with degrees 'deteriorated noticeably' in early 2025. And with government funding cuts, corporate hiring freezes, and the looming shadow of AI, traditional white-collar routes are shrinking fast, as per a report by Business Jones, 26, has a degree in sports communications, $25,000 in student loans, and no job prospects. He's moved back in with his parents and is freelancing to scrape by. 'I'm just trying to find a job, period,' he said those considering grad school or law school are facing new problems, oversaturation, high tuition, and limited payoff. Meanwhile, some Gen Z workers are pivoting to blue-collar fields just to stay afloat, feeling that college no longer guarantees a stable millennials and Gen Xers, the danger lies in the 'Great Flattening.' That's the name some experts are giving to the corporate trend of gutting middle management to reduce costs. It's left experienced professionals stuck in limbo, too senior for junior roles, not quite executive enough for top-tier Cole, 39, was laid off from her product support job in late 2024. Despite keeping her resume sharp and her LinkedIn active, she's still searching. 'It seems like companies either want very senior experience or brand-new grads,' she said. 'There's no space for the middle anymore.'A payroll firm called Gusto found that manager-level firings, especially for people between 35 and 44, have skyrocketed more than 400% since 2022. And job postings for managers are dwindling too. That's forced many mid-career professionals to downgrade their ambitions, with some even applying to entry-level roles just to stay such millennial, Giovanna Ventola, 35, has faced three layoffs in three years. In response, she created Rhize, a job search support group. 'Most members are over 35,' she said, adding that many once earned six figures as directors or VPs but are now just hoping for any paycheck, as per a report by Business once a milestone to celebrate, now feels out of reach for many older Americans. A 2024 AARP report revealed that 20% of Americans over 50 have no retirement savings at all. That's left them working long past the age they planned to step Nordland, 53, has been laid off twice in two years and says she's barely keeping up with her bills. 'I should be 12 years away from retiring, but that's not going to happen,' she said. 'I have no retirement savings.'Herb Osborne, 71, juggles two jobs in California, working full time for a charcuterie company and part time as a hotel auditor. 'Financially, it's imperative that I work,' he said. 'Social Security doesn't cover anything.'A 2024 Harris Poll found that 78% of boomers feel their age hurts their job prospects, and more than half believe it limits their career options. And yet, many keep working. LinkedIn reported that 13% of baby boomers who once listed themselves as retired have since reversed decades of experience and a passion for teaching, Bonnie Cote, a substitute teacher in the Washington, DC, area, says it's difficult to find a job that pays enough to supplement her Social Security, particularly in her job market in 2025 is tough, no matter how old you are or how much experience you have. Gen Z is dealing with broken promises of stability after college, millennials and Gen Xers are stuck in a middle layer of management that is disappearing, and boomers are working longer than they ever planned. The economy is uncertain, hiring is down, and there is a general feeling of being are cutting costs, laying off employees, and freezing hiring, making it difficult for people of all ages to find stable is affected, but Gen Z has fewer entry-level jobs, millennials and Gen X are being laid off, and boomers are postponing retirement due to financial difficulties.
Economic Times
18-07-2025
- Business
- Economic Times
Job market mayhem: Whether you're 22 or 52, job searching in 2025 is a total nightmare
Why are Gen Z grads struggling so much? Live Events What's happening to middle management? Why can't older Americans retire? FAQs (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Looking for a job in 2025? You are not alone if it feels more difficult than ever. From recent college graduates to baby boomers postponing retirement, the struggle to find or keep a job affects every generation. The market is tight, competition is fierce, and no one appears job market in the United States in 2025 will affect people of all ages. Gen Z is losing entry-level jobs, millennials and Gen X are in a thinning middle, and boomers are postponing retirement. Each age group is dealing with this bleak employment landscape, as per a report by Business those just starting out, the post-college dream is fading fast. Take 21-year-old Bella Babbitt, for example. A 2024 graduate who earned her degree in just three years, she applied to hundreds of jobs and spent months waiting tables before finally landing a media role, through a family connection, not job boards. 'My parents can't understand how we're applying everywhere and hearing nothing,' she Federal Reserve confirmed what many in Gen Z already knew: the job market for 22-to-27-year-olds with degrees 'deteriorated noticeably' in early 2025. And with government funding cuts, corporate hiring freezes, and the looming shadow of AI, traditional white-collar routes are shrinking fast, as per a report by Business Jones, 26, has a degree in sports communications, $25,000 in student loans, and no job prospects. He's moved back in with his parents and is freelancing to scrape by. 'I'm just trying to find a job, period,' he said those considering grad school or law school are facing new problems, oversaturation, high tuition, and limited payoff. Meanwhile, some Gen Z workers are pivoting to blue-collar fields just to stay afloat, feeling that college no longer guarantees a stable millennials and Gen Xers, the danger lies in the 'Great Flattening.' That's the name some experts are giving to the corporate trend of gutting middle management to reduce costs. It's left experienced professionals stuck in limbo, too senior for junior roles, not quite executive enough for top-tier Cole, 39, was laid off from her product support job in late 2024. Despite keeping her resume sharp and her LinkedIn active, she's still searching. 'It seems like companies either want very senior experience or brand-new grads,' she said. 'There's no space for the middle anymore.'A payroll firm called Gusto found that manager-level firings, especially for people between 35 and 44, have skyrocketed more than 400% since 2022. And job postings for managers are dwindling too. That's forced many mid-career professionals to downgrade their ambitions, with some even applying to entry-level roles just to stay such millennial, Giovanna Ventola, 35, has faced three layoffs in three years. In response, she created Rhize, a job search support group. 'Most members are over 35,' she said, adding that many once earned six figures as directors or VPs but are now just hoping for any paycheck, as per a report by Business once a milestone to celebrate, now feels out of reach for many older Americans. A 2024 AARP report revealed that 20% of Americans over 50 have no retirement savings at all. That's left them working long past the age they planned to step Nordland, 53, has been laid off twice in two years and says she's barely keeping up with her bills. 'I should be 12 years away from retiring, but that's not going to happen,' she said. 'I have no retirement savings.'Herb Osborne, 71, juggles two jobs in California, working full time for a charcuterie company and part time as a hotel auditor. 'Financially, it's imperative that I work,' he said. 'Social Security doesn't cover anything.'A 2024 Harris Poll found that 78% of boomers feel their age hurts their job prospects, and more than half believe it limits their career options. And yet, many keep working. LinkedIn reported that 13% of baby boomers who once listed themselves as retired have since reversed decades of experience and a passion for teaching, Bonnie Cote, a substitute teacher in the Washington, DC, area, says it's difficult to find a job that pays enough to supplement her Social Security, particularly in her job market in 2025 is tough, no matter how old you are or how much experience you have. Gen Z is dealing with broken promises of stability after college, millennials and Gen Xers are stuck in a middle layer of management that is disappearing, and boomers are working longer than they ever planned. The economy is uncertain, hiring is down, and there is a general feeling of being are cutting costs, laying off employees, and freezing hiring, making it difficult for people of all ages to find stable is affected, but Gen Z has fewer entry-level jobs, millennials and Gen X are being laid off, and boomers are postponing retirement due to financial difficulties.
Business Insider
17-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Job searching in 2025? It's a mess no matter how old you are
America may be divided over millennials spending too much on avocado toast, Gen Zers staring into the void, and boomers hoarding their wealth, but there's one thing that every generation can agree on: Career prospects are feeling extra miserable lately. One Gen Xer told Business Insider of when she learned she was laid off, "The day that I got that news, it was like going to the worst surprise party I've ever been to." "My dream job might exist," a frustrated Gen Z job seeker said. "But I'm one of 400 people applying for it." "I keep hearing employers talk about no one wanting to work, and I desperately want to work," said a millennial who struggled to find work for four years. "I can't get someone to ever sit down and talk to me." It all stems from the current economic moment in which companies are hiring at nearly the lowest rate in a decade and are looking to cut costs where they can, but it feels different depending on your career stage and employment situation. In recent months, BI has interviewed fed-up job seekers, laid-off managers, and people working past retirement age to pay the bills. Here's how each generation is experiencing the job market in 2025 — and what they're doing to cope. We want to hear from middle managers, job seekers, and people who've recently landed a job. If you're open to sharing your story, please fill out one or more of the linked Google Forms. Gen Z's entry-level opportunities are drying up The job market for 22- to 27-year-olds with a bachelor's degree or higher " deteriorated noticeably" in the first quarter of this year, the New York Federal Reserve reported. That doesn't come as a surprise to many Gen Z job seekers. "I was applying, and I felt like, 'This is so stupid because I know I'm going to get rejected,'" said 21-year-old Bella Babbitt, a 2024 grad. She said that after completing her bachelor's in just three years, it took her hundreds of applications and months of waiting tables, but she finally landed a role in media strategy by networking with a family friend. "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," she added. For many of Babbitt's generation, it feels like their traditional pathways to success — a résumé of internships, rigorous classes, and a college degree — aren't translating to stable job offers. Cost-cutting from the White House DOGE office has slashed funding for jobs that ambitious young graduates of earlier generations used to vie for at government agencies, nonprofits, science labs, and public health centers. AI could make it harder to find entry-level options in tech, and law school demand is rising beyond what the industry can support. White-collar roles at many major corporations have been hit by layoffs or hiring freezes. Early 2020s graduates may have fallen into a hot Great Resignation market, but recent grads aren't so lucky. Solomon Jones, 26, said he's been unable to land a sports communications role after graduating in May. With $25,000 in student-loan debt, he's moved back in with his parents while he continues the job hunt. He's trying to cobble together some freelance writing work — at least until full-time hiring picks up. "The goal is to obviously get a job in the sports industry, but realistically, I know that life isn't fair," he said. "So at this point, I'm just trying to find a job, period." Zoomers have a rising unemployment rate and are losing confidence in the payoff of a college education, with some pivoting to blue-collar work. The 22-to-27 recent grad group has had a higher unemployment rate than the overall American labor force since 2021 — reversing the typical trend of young grads outperforming the broader labor market that has persisted through past recessions. "Young people are obviously not one monolithic group. Some are going to college; some started college and didn't finish," Elise Gould, a senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute, previously told BI, adding, "But I don't think people always understand that this is what happens, the sort of 'first hired, first fired' phenomenon." Millennial and Gen X managers are caught in the Great Flattening Olivia Cole, 39, feels stuck after getting laid off from her product support role last October. "As most people can probably relate, it's been difficult finding something that either is an equivalent level or a step up," Cole said. Cole has done everything she believes she's supposed to do: polishing her résumé and LinkedIn profile and building out her network. Even so, she's still looking — something she sees across her cohort. "It does really seem like people are looking for those with a high level of experience or absolute newcomers," Cole said. "And as somebody in the middle, it's been a little difficult, because there's a million of us." Many millennials looking for mid-career opportunities like Cole could be in trouble: A growing strategy of reducing middle management at Big Tech and small businesses alike is focused on cutting bureaucracy and costs. As most managers today are millennials or Gen Xers, as a recent Glassdoor analysis found, they're on the layoff chopping block. The managers who remain are left with a heavier workload, including a rising number of direct reports. Gusto, a small and midsize payroll and benefits platform, found that involuntary manager terminations — firings and layoffs — had greatly affected those ages 35 to 44, rising more than 400% between January 2022 and September 2024. Job postings for management roles on the job-search platform Indeed are also trending downward. Some millennials are finding solace in seeking out others in the same boat: After Giovanna Ventola, 35, was laid off three times in three years, she founded a support group for fellow job seekers called Rhize. She said the majority of group members are over 35; many in that cohort had previously held roles such as director or vice president and were six-figure earners, she said. "They're applying for entry-level jobs because they're at the point where they're like, 'I need to do something," she said. For Gen X, the financial disruption of an unexpected layoff or career pivot can be especially dire: AARP reported in 2024 that a fifth of not-yet-retired Americans 50 and older had no retirement savings. After her second layoff in two years, 53-year-old Hilary Nordland is struggling to pay bills and feels like she will be "working forever." "I should be retiring in 12 years, and there's no way that's going to happen," she said. "I have no retirement savings." Baby boomers increasingly need jobs past retirement age For the past decade, the number of older Americans working full time has been trending upward. BI has heard from thousands of older Americans struggling to afford necessities with limited savings and Social Security. Hundreds have said they are still working full time, have picked up part-time shifts to supplement their income, or are actively looking for work. Herb Osborne, 71, works full time for a small business that makes olive oil and charcuterie accessories and reads financial documents as a hotel auditor on weekends. He said he'd had to continue working two jobs to afford the Bay Area's cost of living. "Financially, for me, it is really almost imperative that I work," he said. "I do work every day in order just to survive. And it's scary now at the age I'm at, because Social Security doesn't cover anything." In a survey published by Harris Poll and the American Staffing Association in 2024, 78% of baby boomers said they believed their age would be a contributing factor when being considered for a new position, and 53% said they thought their age limited their career opportunities. At the same time, LinkedIn reported that about 13% of previously retired baby boomers on the platform listed and then ended a retirement on their profile in 2023. Bonnie Cote, 75, is a substitute teacher near Washington, DC. She has decades of education experience and loves the work, but she said it's hard to keep finding a gig that pays enough money to supplement her Social Security, especially in her 70s. "It doesn't matter what age you are," Cote said. "You should be able to get a job."
Business Insider
17-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Zoomers can't get in and boomers can't get out: The job market pressures by generation
America may be divided over millennials spending too much on avocado toast, Gen Zers staring into the void, and boomers hoarding their wealth, but there's one thing that every generation can agree on: career prospects are feeling extra miserable lately. One Gen Xer told Business Insider of when she learned she was laid off, "The day that I got that news, it was like going to the worst surprise party I've ever been to." "My dream job might exist," a frustrated Gen Z job seeker said. "But I'm one of 400 people applying for it." "I keep hearing employers talk about no one wanting to work, and I desperately want to work," said a millennial who struggled to find work for four years. "I can't get someone to ever sit down and talk to me." It all stems from the current economic moment in which companies are hiring at nearly the lowest rate in a decade and are looking to cut costs where they can, but it feels different depending on your career stage and employment situation. In recent months, BI has interviewed fed-up job seekers, laid-off managers, and people working past retirement age to pay the bills. Here's how each generation is experiencing the job market in 2025 — and what they're doing to cope. Gen Z's entry-level opportunities are drying up The job market for 22- to 27-year-olds with a bachelor's degree or higher " deteriorated noticeably" in the first quarter of this year, the New York Federal Reserve reported. That doesn't come as a surprise to many Gen Z job seekers. "I was applying and I felt like, 'This is so stupid because I know I'm going to get rejected,'" said 21-year-old Bella Babbitt, a 2024 grad. She told BI that after completing her bachelor's in just three years, it took her hundreds of applications and months of waiting tables, but she finally landed a role in media strategy by networking with a family friend. "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," she added. For many of Babbitt's generation, it feels like their traditional pathways to success — a résumé of internships, rigorous classes, and a college degree — aren't translating to stable job offers. Cost-cutting from the White House DOGE office has slashed funding for jobs that ambitious young graduates of earlier generations used to vie for at government agencies, nonprofits, science labs, and public health centers. AI could make it harder to find entry-level options in tech, and law school demand is rising beyond what the industry can support. White-collar roles at many major corporations have been hit by layoffs or hiring freezes. Early 2020s graduates may have fallen into a hot Great Resignation market, but recent grads aren't so lucky. Solomon Jones, 26, said he's been unable to land a sports communications role after graduating in May. With $25,000 in student loan debt, he's moved back in with his parents while he continues the job hunt. He's trying to cobble together some freelance writing work — at least until full-time hiring picks up. "The goal is to obviously get a job in the sports industry, but realistically, I know that life isn't fair," he told BI. "So at this point, I'm just trying to find a job, period." Zoomers have a rising unemployment rate and are losing confidence in the payoff of a college education, with some pivoting to blue-collar work. The 22-to-27 recent grad group has had a higher unemployment rate than the overall American labor force since 2021 — reversing the typical trend of young grads outperforming the broader labor market that has persisted through past recessions. "Young people are obviously not one monolithic group. Some are going to college, some started college and didn't finish," Elise Gould, senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute, previously told BI, adding, "But I don't think people always understand that this is what happens, the sort of 'first hired, first fired' phenomenon." Millennial and Gen X managers are caught in the Great Flattening Olivia Cole, 39, feels stuck after getting laid off from her product support role last October. "As most people can probably relate, it's been difficult finding something that either is an equivalent level or a step up," Cole said. Cole has done everything that she says she's supposed to do: Polishing her résumé and LinkedIn profile, and building out her network. Even so, she's still looking — something she sees across her cohort. "It does really seem like people are looking for those with a high level of experience or absolute newcomers," Cole said. "And as somebody in the middle, it's been a little difficult, because there's a million of us." Many millennials looking for mid-career opportunities like Cole could be in trouble: A growing strategy of reducing middle management at Big Tech and small businesses alike is aimed at cutting bureaucracy and costs. As most managers today are millennials or Gen Xers, per a recent Glassdoor analysis, they're potentially on the layoff chopping block. The managers who remain are left with a heavier workload, including a rising number of direct reports. Gusto, a small and midsize payroll and benefits platform, found that involuntary manager terminations — firings and layoffs — have greatly affected those ages 35 to 44, rising over 400% between January 2022 and September 2024. Job postings for management roles on the job-search platform Indeed are also trending downward. Some millennials are finding solace in seeking out others in the same boat: After Giovanna Ventola, 35, was laid off three times in three years, she founded a support group for fellow job seekers called Rhize. She said that the majority of group members are over 35; many in that cohort had previously held roles like director or VP, and were six-figure earners, she said. "They're applying for entry-level jobs because they're at the point where they're like, 'I need to do something," she said. For Gen X, the financial disruption of an unexpected layoff or career pivot can be especially dire: AARP reported in 2024 that a fifth of not-yet-retired Americans 50 and older had no retirement savings. After her second layoff in two years, 53-year-old Hilary Nordland is struggling to pay bills and feels like she will be "working forever." "I should be retiring in 12 years, and there's no way that's going to happen," she said. "I have no retirement savings." Baby boomers increasingly need jobs past retirement age For the last decade, the number of older Americans working full-time has been trending upward. BI has heard from thousands of older Americans struggling to afford necessities with limited savings and Social Security. Hundreds said they are still working full-time, have picked up part-time shifts to supplement their income, or are actively looking for work. Herb Osborne, 71, works full-time for a small business that makes olive oil and charcuterie accessories and reads financial documents as a hotel auditor on weekends. He said he has to continue working two jobs to afford the Bay Area's cost of living. "Financially, for me, it is really almost imperative that I work," he said. "I do work every day in order just to survive. And it's scary now at the age I'm at, because Social Security doesn't cover anything." A survey published by Harris Poll and the American Staffing Association in 2024 found that 78% of baby boomers believe their age would be a contributing factor when being considered for a new position, and 53% think their age limits their career opportunities. At the same time, LinkedIn reported that about 13% of previously retired baby boomers on the platform listed, then ended, a retirement on their profile in 2023. Bonnie Cote, 75, is a substitute teacher near Washington, DC. She has decades of education experience and loves the work, but said it's hard to keep finding a gig that pays enough money to supplement her Social Security, especially in her 70s. "It doesn't matter what age you are," Cote told BI. "You should be able to get a job."
