The System is Broken: Why the Job Market is Not Working for Everyone
Over the course of the summer, I’ve seen so many friends, former colleagues, and associates lose their roles—or an even more painful reality: having to bare their hearts on public forums like LinkedIn, sharing that they’ve been without work for over a year. These are experienced candidates, often with several years under their belts, simply not getting a call back.
That point hits close to home because it reflects a much larger trend. The labor market has never felt more unforgiving.
What the Data Tells Us
The stories we see online are backed by sobering numbers:
Unemployment among recent college graduates is at its highest in over a decade. In March 2025, unemployment for those aged 22 to 27 reached 5.8%—the highest level since before the pandemic (AP News).
Underemployment remains alarmingly high. More than 41% of recent graduates are in jobs that don’t require their degree (Wikipedia).
The trend is worsening. Recent grads’ unemployment averaged 4.59% in 2025, up from 3.25% in 2019, far outpacing increases among other groups (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis).
Hiring expectations have been slashed. Companies went from projecting a 7.3% increase in hiring new grads this year to just 0.6% (Vox).
For the first time in decades, bachelor’s degree holders face higher unemployment than the national average. (The Fulcrum)
These numbers confirm what many already feel: the system is not working as it should.
Why It Matters
When candidates with real experience fail to get callbacks, and recent grads are trapped in roles that don’t match their education, it is not about individual shortcomings. It is about a hiring system that has become too rigid, too automated, and too disconnected from the human beings it is meant to serve.
This isn’t just a recession-era story. This is about skills, expectations, technology, and opportunity falling out of sync in ways that leave promising people stuck.
What Needs to Change
Pause the presumption. Algorithms and filters may be efficient, but they strip away context. Recruiters and hiring managers need to look deeper than keywords.
Have more conversations. A ten-minute call can reveal potential, ambition, and alignment that no résumé or system can capture.
Rethink rigid criteria. If we ask candidates to submit endlessly customized applications, we must also challenge ourselves to approach hiring with critical thinking and flexibility.
Share ownership of inclusion. DEI leaders cannot carry this work alone. Building fair, inclusive systems must be a shared responsibility across leadership.
Moving Forward
This is a moment for reflection and accountability. If we choose empathy over automation, curiosity over assumptions, and courage over convenience, we can begin to design a job market that doesn’t just fill roles—it creates pathways to opportunity, equity, and dignity for all.
