Over half of recent graduates struggling to find jobs, survey finds

Recent college and university graduates are facing an even tougher labour market, with over 59% saying they are finding it challenging to secure full-time entry-level jobs, according to new research from Indeed Flex, a flexible work platform.

The report, which was based on a survey of nearly 1,200 recent graduates, revealed that only 9% found entry-level jobs easily. A quarter of the respondents also cited a lack of experience (25%) and excessive competition (24%) in the labour market as the main pain points in their job search, and 79% believe that artificial intelligence (AI) is causing entry-level positions in their field to shrink.

Indeed Flex also noted that the latest batch of graduates is more flexible in their quest to secure a job in the saturated entry-level market. Nearly 50% say they are open to accepting any role that pays well, while 46% are considering temporary or flexible jobs rather than traditional ones over fears of AI. Other notable job-seeking preferences include remote or freelance roles (20%), temporary or seasonal work (17%), and contract-based jobs (13%).

Novo Constare, CEO and Co-founder of Indeed Flex, said the report highlights the unique challenges faced by recent graduates in the current labour market.

“At the moment, temporary work is helping people make ends meet and also gives them flexibility to navigate their difficult job search,” he added.

Despite recognising AI’s growing influence in the workplace, most new graduates remain underprepared for it: 54% say they have no training in AI tools. Some have taken upskilling into their own hands, with 22% self-teaching AI skills to improve employability.

This disparity is not lost to business moguls like Mark Cuban, who recently urged Gen Z to learn about AI to make them more hireable.

“Learn to customize a model, walk into a company, and show the benefits. That is every single job that’s going to be available for kids coming out of school,” the billionaire said in a livestream late in August.

Cuban noted that 95% of all generating AI pilot projects are ‘flopping’ and that it serves as an opportunity for younger workers to teach older colleagues to implement the technology properly.

“There are millions of companies that have one, five, 10, 50, 100, 500 people that aren’t going to have AI budgets, that aren’t going to have AI experts. This is where kids get hired,” he added.