In the job market, Gen Z is cooked

Summary

Podcast Summary: Post Reports – "In the Job Market, Gen Z is Cooked"

Episode Information:

• Title: In the Job Market, Gen Z is Cooked
• Host: Tadeo Ruiz Noval (Guest Host)
• Release Date: August 13, 2025
• Podcast: Post Reports by The Washington Post

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1. Introduction: The Struggles of Gen Z in the Job Market

In this compelling episode of Post Reports, guest host Tadeo Ruiz Noval, an audio intern at The Washington Post, delves into the precarious job landscape faced by Generation Z. As the internship program nears its end, the looming question for Tadeo and his fellow interns is clear: "Where will we find a job?" (00:02) This episode unpacks the multifaceted challenges Gen Z encounters in securing employment, the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in reshaping the job market, and the profound impact on mental health.

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2. The Current Hiring Landscape: A Grim Outlook

Economic Pressures and AI Influence

Tadeo introduces the grim reality: the unemployment rate for 20 to 24-year-olds has surged to 7.9%, nearly double the national average (00:48). Business reporter Taylor Telford provides an in-depth analysis, describing the current hiring climate as "one of the toughest and most scarce" since the Great Recession of 2008 (02:27). Several converging factors contribute to this downturn:

• Post-Pandemic Job Cuts: Rapid expansion during the pandemic led to excessive hiring, prompting companies to downsize as economic conditions tightened (03:02).
• Inflation and Budget Constraints: Rising costs have forced companies to "make their budgets as tight as they can" (03:02).
• AI Integration: While AI hasn't replaced jobs outright, it has altered workflows, reducing the need for multiple entry-level roles by automating repetitive tasks (03:02).

Impact on Specific Sectors

The technology sector, traditionally a beacon for young graduates, is particularly hard-hit. Taylor notes that layoffs have intensified competition, with experienced professionals vying for positions alongside recent graduates, increasing the emphasis on "expertise and specialization" (05:36). This shift undermines the stability and growth opportunities that once made tech appealing to Gen Z.

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3. Personal Narratives: Struggles and Resilience

Maggie Chin's Odyssey

Tadeo shares Maggie Chin's journey, a computer science graduate from UC Davis who spent 11 months searching for an unpaid internship (07:26). Maggie recounts:

“I found that there weren't a lot of entry level jobs available for me because all the ones that I was finding was just like, you need at least one year of professional experience.” (07:59)

Despite her efforts, Maggie only secured an unpaid position, highlighting a systemic barrier where experience is a prerequisite for entry-level roles. Taylor confirms this is a widespread issue, with many graduates facing similar predicaments (08:59).

Ginny Crosland's Perspective

Ginny Crosland, the opinions copydesk intern, expresses her fears about job security amidst newsroom cost-cutting and AI implementation:

“It's just so unknown. It's scary and it's unknown.” (12:44)

Her experience underscores the uncertainty Gen Z faces, even in fields they are passionate about.

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4. The Psychological Toll: Burnout and Post-Grad Depression

The relentless job search and repeated rejections have taken a substantial toll on Gen Z's mental health. Taylor describes how many are grappling with "burnout or kind of post grad depression" (16:48). Common struggles include:

• Emotional Burden: The dissonance between expected excitement post-graduation and the harsh reality of unemployment leads to significant stress.
• Financial Strain: Many are burdened with student debt, exacerbating feelings of helplessness.

Maggie reflects on her own stress:

“I also just wish I wasn't as stressed as I got, especially during college.” (21:25)

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5. The Rise of Trade Schools: A Shifting Paradigm

In response to dwindling opportunities in white-collar sectors, there's a noticeable shift towards trade and technical schools. Taylor observes:

“There has been a huge reversal and kind of a tide of kids flowing into the trades, particularly in the past couple of years.” (10:42)

Reasons for this trend include:

• Perceived Stability: Trades offer more immediate employment opportunities.
• Entrepreneurial Opportunities: Skills acquired allow for greater independence and the possibility to start one's own business.
• Cultural Shift: The pandemic highlighted the essential roles of trade professionals, increasing their appeal.

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6. AI in Recruitment: Double-Edged Sword

AI has not only impacted job roles but also the hiring process itself. Tadeo mentions encountering disclaimers about AI screening on job applications (14:20). Taylor explains:

“It’s making it harder for everybody on all sides of the equation to know who's human and actually connect.” (15:37)

Challenges:

• Overwhelming Applications: AI tools often result in recruiters receiving thousands of applications, many of which are spam, forcing them to close postings rapidly.
• Keyword Dependence: AI systems prioritize keyword-optimized resumes, disadvantaging those unfamiliar with or unable to use such tools.

Gen Z's Response:

To counteract these AI barriers, many Gen Z applicants are "fighting fire with fire," utilizing AI to optimize their resumes. Katie Donovan, a journalism graduate, shares her turnaround after adopting AI tools:

“...she had just started using some of the AI optimization tools for application and she said that it had helped a ton and she had already been seeing new opportunities.” (16:43)

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7. Coping Mechanisms and Sources of Hope

Despite the daunting landscape, Gen Z finds solace and resilience through community and shared experiences. Taylor notes the role of social media platforms like TikTok, where individuals document their job search journeys and support each other:

“All of them said that it did kind of help them to know that they weren't alone.” (18:26)

Advice for Job Seekers:

Taylor suggests focusing on uniquely human skills that AI cannot replicate:

• Creativity
• Problem-Solving
• Collaboration
• Empathy

Additionally, building networks through referrals and personal connections is crucial, as recruiters are increasingly relying on these traditional methods over automated systems.

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8. Conclusion: Navigating the Uncertain Future

The episode culminates with personal reflections from both Maggie Chin and Ginny Crosland:

Maggie Chin:

“I do wish I wasn't as stressed... I just don't know like what really like really mattered, you know?” (21:25)

Ginny Crosland:

“Don't give up... take care of yourself... do what you need to do to live a fulfilling life.” (22:19)

Tadeo shares his own hopeful outcome, landing a position with Minnesota Public Radio, emphasizing the importance of "experimenting with my work, trying new things and most of all, taking risks" (22:02).

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Key Takeaways:

• Gen Z faces unprecedented challenges in the job market, exacerbated by economic downturns and the integration of AI.
• AI impacts both employment opportunities and the hiring process, creating barriers that require new strategies from job seekers.
• Mental health struggles such as burnout and post-grad depression are prevalent among recent graduates.
• A shift towards trade and technical education offers alternative pathways to employment.
• Community support and focusing on human-centric skills are essential for navigating these turbulent times.

This episode serves as a poignant exploration of the current employment landscape for Gen Z, highlighting both the obstacles and the avenues for resilience and adaptation.

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Notable Quotes:

• “Where will we find a job?” — Tadeo Ruiz Noval (00:02)
• “It's one of the kind of toughest and most scarce hiring landscapes that we've seen since the Great Recession in 2008.” — Taylor Telford (02:27)
• “It's just so unknown. It's scary and it's unknown.” — Ginny Crosland (12:44)
• “Don't give up... do what you need to do to live a fulfilling life.” — Ginny Crosland (22:19)

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Timestamp Reference: For a detailed understanding and context, listeners are encouraged to refer to the timestamps provided alongside each quoted segment.

Transcript

[Tadeo Ruiz Noval]

Quick disclaimer for this episode. As you may notice, I'm not one of the usual hosts of Post Reports. I'm not Kobi Ikowicz or Elahi Azadi. I'm Tadeo Ruiz Noval, the audio intern. Now, I'm just one of 26 interns here at the Post. And there's about two days left of the internship program for most of us, which means there's one question on the top of our minds. Where will we find a job?

[Ginny Crosland]

Hi, I'm Ginny Crosland.

[Taylor Telford]

Hi, I'm Ethan Beck. I'm the features intern for the Washington Post.

[Ginny Crosland]

And I am the opinions copydesk intern for the summer 2025. It's tough going through all these job postings, seeing five plus years of experience required.

[Tadeo Ruiz Noval]

So we are all part of Gen Z, and that means that we were born between 1997 and 2012, and right now is an incredibly difficult time for Gen Z to land a job. In July, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the unemployment rate for 20 to 24 year olds like me is now 7.9%. And that is a pretty big number. It's almost double the overall US unemployment rate.

[Taylor Telford]

I think looking on LinkedIn can be very defeating.

[Tadeo Ruiz Noval]

You know, in many ways it can.

[Taylor Telford]

Be an experience where you're like, I'm sort of suited for this job. I'm sort of suited for that job. What do I do? Oh, and 500 people have applied for that job. I'm sort of suited for.

[Tadeo Ruiz Noval]

From the newsroom of the Washington Post, this is Post Reports. And as I mentioned, I'm tadeo. It's Wednesday, August 13th. Today I talk with business reporter Taylor Telford about Gen Z and the workforce. What's the job landscape we're entering, why is it so competitive and will we ever be able to find a job? Hi, Taylor, how are you? Thank you for being here.

[Taylor Telford]

Hey, I'm great. Thank you so much for having me.

[Tadeo Ruiz Noval]

All right, Taylor, so here's the deal. I graduated from college back in May and a lot of my friends are struggling to find work at the same time. So I'm wondering, what does the hiring landscape look like right now?

[Taylor Telford]

Well, your timing is honestly pretty tough because it's basically one of the kind of toughest and most scarce hiring landscapes that we've seen since the Great Recession in 2008. And economists have made it clear to me that while there's never a good time to be an entry level level person, kind of trying to get somebody to, you know, take a gamble on you and your potential. That at the moment there is kind of a lot of economic pressure that is making it really, really tough for people to break in.

[Tadeo Ruiz Noval]

What is happening? Why is it so hard to break in?

[Taylor Telford]

So there's kind of a collision of forces happening. There's political, economic and kind of cultural changes that are all unfolding right as people are trying to get a job after the graduation season this year. And on the one hand, we have an economy where basically since the pandemic, there's kind of just been a legacy of job cuts because a lot of companies expanded really, really fast and added too many roles. And ever since then they've kind of been paring things back aside from the economic conditions, where also there's been a lot of inflation and a lot of other things that are leading companies to basically make their budgets as tight as they can. The emergence of AI is also really shaking things, and particularly in entry level roles. And at this point there isn't a lot of outright replacement of jobs by AI. But what is happening is that AI is changing the way that things get done. And especially when it comes to roles that might have a lot of repetitive tasks or verification or things that can be systematized, those are a lot of things that might be helpful for AI. And maybe you don't need, you know, you need one person where you might have needed two before. And so. So that is really kind of also adding just a lot of uncertainty for companies as they're trying to figure out just how to spread their resources around in this time and figuring out how to deploy AI. A lot of them are also just kind of holding their cards close to their chest for the moment and kind of waiting to see how things unfold and just not making as many hiring decisions as they were in the past.

[Tadeo Ruiz Noval]

Yeah. And like, what fields are you seeing that are being most impacted by like the shift of hiring decisions?

[Taylor Telford]

I think the area that we see some of the biggest whiplash is in technology. I think that for many years now has been a field that's really attractive to young grads because it's been seen as really stable and high paying and with a lot of potential for advancement. But basically with the legacy of some of the cuts that a lot of these companies are making, all of a sudden you have kind of much experienced people that are competing for roles with folks who are just getting out and they're having a really different experience trying to break into these places where all of a sudden there's a real kind of emphasis on expertise and specialization. Alongside the kind of development of AI as well.

[Tadeo Ruiz Noval]

Yeah, because, gosh, I'm thinking back to my own college experience. I was considering maybe doing computer science or finance because I thought that's where the money was, like where the job growth was. But now you're saying that just hiring isn't what it used to be. Why is that, like, why is that, like, so recent?

[Taylor Telford]

Basically, when you look at the past several decades, I think that the kind of sign of success for a company was growth and expansion. And CEOs were constantly talking about, you know, the ability to add their headcount and, you know, pursue new projects. And I think that really since the pandemic, we have kind of seen, you know, the shift in teams trying to get leaner and especially too, along with the emerging emergence of AI, a kind of greater focus on productivity. The past couple years, you've had a lot of kind of tough love talk coming out of the C suite, you know, whether it's Mark Zuckerberg at Meta or Mark Benioff at Salesforce, talking about the need for employees to do more with less. And organizations are also trying to do the same thing. They're also trying to, you know, stretch their resources a lot further. And we really haven't seen this kind of cultural shift of, you know, praising, like, keeping things this lean. And I think that in the past, the growth offered a lot of avenues for breaking into organizations and opportunities that might not be there for folks right now.

[Tadeo Ruiz Noval]

The picture that you're painting, it's just a lot of hurdles that are really hard for GenC to overcome. And it really reminded me of the people that you talked to in your own stories. And I reached out to some of them. I got to call, for example, one of the sources that you interviewed for your story.

[Maggie Chin]

Hi, I'm Maggie Chin. I graduated as a computer science major from UC Davis last year.

[Tadeo Ruiz Noval]

She had crammed a lot of classes into her last semester at UC Davis, so she, like, didn't have any time at all to really look for jobs.

[Maggie Chin]

At that time, I didn't know anything about the job market situation. So I was just thinking, oh, like, once I graduate that summer, I'll just apply to a bunch of jobs and I'll be okay and like, I'll be able to find a job.

[Tadeo Ruiz Noval]

And it turns out that it. Well, it wouldn't be that easy.

[Maggie Chin]

I found that there weren't a lot of entry level jobs available for me because all the ones that I was finding was just like, you need at least one year of professional experience. Or like, at least three years for just like, entry level jobs. So it was hard to even find jobs to apply for. And then once I started applying for jobs, I was just not hearing anything back, which was really discouraging.

[Tadeo Ruiz Noval]

And so Maggie kept searching and searching and searching for 11 months.

[Maggie Chin]

I got. It's sort of like a unpaid internship or a contractor role. They're not really, like, clear on the job specifications. But that was late May, early June.

[Tadeo Ruiz Noval]

Eleven months just to get an unpaid internship, just to be able to show that she had experience on her resume. I mean, you spoke with Maggie, too. Like, did this experience feel unusual?

[Taylor Telford]

The sad thing is it's not unusual at all. At this point, pretty much all of the kids that I spoke to were at least a year or two out of college and still mostly confronting opportunities like unpaid or paid internships as their best hope of kind of getting a foot in the or in their chosen fields.

[Tadeo Ruiz Noval]

This is something that blows my mind, right, Because I went to college for four years and I was sold on the idea that the reason that you go there is so that you are a competitive candidate once you graduate. But it's looking quite different now. And I'm left to wonder, is having a college degree worth it anymore?

[Taylor Telford]

That is a really good question that I think a lot of people your age and older and younger are asking themselves. For many decades now, a lot of the investment in the American education system has been geared toward pushing people toward white collar work with the kind of narrative being pushed that these are careers with opportunities for advancement and stability. But I think that what we're seeing right now is this moment where a lot of people are kind of reevaluating the utility in a world where the kind of stability of white collar jobs is looking, you know, a lot less stable than it's looked for the past several decades.

[Tadeo Ruiz Noval]

My whole life I never gave much thought to, like, technical schools or trade schools. And now I'm wondering if that looks different now. You know, if I was a high school student hearing this, I'd be wondering if I should just go for those options to look for a more stable job. Do you see those fields seeing an influx of students?

[Taylor Telford]

Yeah, there has been a huge reversal and kind of a tide of kids flowing into the trades, particularly in the past couple of years. They kind of started in the pandemic. And I think maybe some of that came from kind of the emphasis on, you know, essential workers and the recognition of the importance in their role in holding up the economy. But I think that another thing that Students have really been kind of connecting with in this landscape is just the opportunity to have more kind of independence to acquire the kind of skills that are associated with the trade that then allow you to be your own boss or start your own business and have more flexibility. And I think you can see why that might be appealing as opposed to, you know, sending out a bunch of applications for, you know, a white collar job and not hearing anything back and wondering if you're even being seen by a person.

[Tadeo Ruiz Noval]

Yeah, I mean, speaking of being seen by a real person. After the break, we'll talk more about AI in the labor market and how Gen Z is adapting. We'll be right back. So, Taylor, I want to spend some time talking about artificial intelligence. We were just talking about how like, companies aren't expanding roles as much because of AI. And I brought this up to the opinion copy editing intern here at the Post, Jeannie Crossland. Her job essentially is looking over stories and ensuring that they're grammatically correct.

[Ginny Crosland]

It's one of those jobs where it's very easy to kind of relegate it to the machines. Like it seems like a pretty straightforward task of, oh, this is wrong and you change it.

[Tadeo Ruiz Noval]

She's been pursuing this field for years now. And recently she was saying that she was worried that with newsrooms cutting costs and AI tools being implemented more that she could be out of a job.

[Ginny Crosland]

I don't feel regret because this is what I want to do and this is what I enjoy. And so it's not like I see all this happening and I'm like, damn, I wish I had majored in. I wish I had picked a different career path. It just makes me sad because I don't know what my career is going to look like in five years. I don't know how much I'm going to have to keep battling against computers to find jobs. It's just so unknown. It's scary and it's unknown.

[Tadeo Ruiz Noval]

You know, hearing her story, what do you feel about graduates who have pursued majors that now may be outdated by AI?

[Taylor Telford]

It must be a really difficult position to be in, to have a sense of what your horizons look like in any role right now. I think especially for, you know, people, like I said before, in entry level positions that might be overseeing things that are systems that go again and again and happen on a regular basis like payroll or who do a lot of kind of coding and the kinds of things that are now being assisted by AI. I think the feeling that a lot of people express to me is just this sense of uncertainty and also this kind of frustration that maybe college didn't prepare them for the ways that AI was changing the world that they were coming into.

[Tadeo Ruiz Noval]

Yeah. And especially the way that AI is changing the way that we even apply for jobs. I mean, when I was looking for jobs, I would see a disclaimer sometimes on hiring websites that said that AI would be used to help the HR manager screen my resume. Is that becoming a bit of a more common practice?

[Taylor Telford]

Oh, yeah. I would say that that is one of the places that we've seen the speediest adoption of AI in the corporate world is with recruiting and hiring. And it's honestly creating lot of chaos because it's making it harder for everybody on all sides of the equation to know who's human and actually connect. We have recruiters and hiring managers who are basically posting jobs and then having to shut them within an hour because they're being bombarded with thousands of spam applications. And then on the other side, there's people like you who are, you know, applying with the best intention and hope and wondering, you know, is a real person even going to see this? This. Because AI resume scrapers are kind of the first line of hiring defense at companies now. And in a lot of cases, they are really keyword centric and not even going to pick up, you know, what you're putting down unless you are optimizing it for AI.

[Tadeo Ruiz Noval]

So does that like, mean that we have to use AI in our own resumes to like, fit the mold better? Like, how is Gen Z fighting back?

[Taylor Telford]

Yeah, the answer is that a lot of Gen Z has decided to fight fire with fire when it comes to AI. And it makes a ton of sense because in a lot of cases, the tools are directly penalizing people that haven't used AI to optimize. One of the students that I talked to from my story are one of the recent graduates, Katie Donovan. She studied journalism at San Diego State University. I definitely took on a lot, maybe a little bit more than I could chew. And the stress was getting to me. Maybe there was some tears, maybe not. I can't say. And she spent, you know, months and months applying, unsuccessfully doing all of the application materials herself. When you're being contacted by a recruiter themselves and they kind of tell you, oh, no, we don't think you're good enough after you were contacted, that is kind of a disheartening experience because you felt, oh, I'm good for this job. They reached out to me, but then.

[Maggie Chin]

They told me, like, ah, you're not Good enough.

[Taylor Telford]

By the end of my reporting, she had just started using some of the AI optimization tools for application and she said that it had helped a ton and she had already been seeing new opportunities. So it's easy to see why kids are turning to that when they basically are kind of diminishing their horizons or making it so that they are less likely to get their applications in front of a human if they aren't willing to use these tools too.

[Tadeo Ruiz Noval]

But like you said, it's been like a long time for her to be applying for these jobs. And I'm just thinking about what this does to people, like what this does to their mental health. What are the effects that this job market is having on us? On Gen Z, I think it's weighing.

[Taylor Telford]

Really heavily on people for a lot of reasons. Most of the kids that I spoke to use the term either burnout or kind of post grad depression to reference their experience because this is a point in your life where you are supposed to be, you know, excited, embarking on a new adventure and instead they kind of find themselves, you know, less, less independent than they were before. A lot of them have had to move back in with their parents or, you know, take support from friends and family and other forms. And it just seems like for a lot of people, you know, the stress and also the kind of emotional burden of going through rejection after rejection and not being able to put to use, you know, those hard years of schooling and that degree that you worked so hard for, it's a really big burden and especially if you come out of it with a lot of student debt too.

[Tadeo Ruiz Noval]

Yeah, I mean, that's something that I'm facing right now. Post grad depression. Very real burnout. Also very real. It's really hard sometimes to carry all of this weight with you. Have you found how people find hope?

[Taylor Telford]

Definitely. I think that sharing their experiences has helped a lot of them. Most of these kids, I found them on TikTok because they were kind of documenting their journeys with unemployment and the daunting job application process. And all of them said that it did kind of help them to know that they weren't alone. And they were bombarded with comments from other kids in some cases who, you know, had graduated two or three years before and are still kind of reckoning with this really punishing environment and, you know, not landing where they expected to be landing by now. Now.

[Tadeo Ruiz Noval]

So what should we be thinking about for, you know, anyone who's Gen Z right now and is wanting to apply for a job? What can we do to improve our chances?

[Taylor Telford]

Oh man, that's such a tricky question. I think it looks different for everybody. But the thing that I heard over and over again is just to focus on what AI can't do. And obviously that is a really squishy and kind of unsatisfying answer. But in a lot of cases, you know, people were pointing me towards the kind of importance of creativity being on the rise of problem solving and collaboration, of empathy and the kind of human skills that are just unique to us. So the best thing it seems like people can do is just, you know, keep, keep persisting, don't give up and you know, try to, try to make the most of the human connections that you have. That's another thing I heard from recruiters is in this environment where AI is kind of muddying the waters of hiring, a lot of recruiters and hiring managers are turn towards more old school methods of hiring, like referrals and kind of sticking to people in their network, which is another thing that disadvantages young folks like you who maybe don't have as many of those connections. So the best thing you can do is just to make as many of them as quickly as you can.

[Tadeo Ruiz Noval]

Thank you so much for your time. It's been somewhat cathartic for me as someone that's a Gen Z member to be able to hear all of these issues spelled out. It makes me feel like I'm less alone. So thank you so much.

[Taylor Telford]

Thank you.

[Tadeo Ruiz Noval]

Taylor Telford reports on corporate culture for the post. Before we end the show, I wanted to check back in with Maggie Chen, the computer science graduate who took 11 months to land an unpaid internship. Very recently, she got a job offer from not one, but two companies. It's a bittersweet moment for her. It opens up two whole new paths for her future. But as she thought about her past, she wondered if finding a job should have been this hard.

[Maggie Chin]

It definitely should not have been as hard as it was. I also just wish I wasn't as stressed as I like got, especially during college. I should have focused on experience and also just like making a bunch of friends and just like, like meeting other people in my field. I wish I did that more. Looking back at it, like all the experience that I did have ended up to like me being here. But I just don't know like what really like really mattered, you know?

[Tadeo Ruiz Noval]

Maggie's story will hit close to home for many people like me and the rest of the interns who leave the post at the end of the week. Many of us, like Ginny the copy editing intern don't know what's going to happen next, but she still feels hopeful.

[Ginny Crosland]

It's so corny. Don't give up. Don't give up. Don't listen to what people have to say and don't feel like just because you can't get the exact job that you thought you would get a year ago when you were still in college. All that matters is staying afloat, taking care of yourself, taking care of your happiness, protecting your peace, and doing what you need to do to live a fulfilling life.

[Tadeo Ruiz Noval]

And as for me, well, I've gotten lucky recently. After my time here at the Post, I'll be joining Minnesota Public Radio. It was a very difficult journey to get there. I spent a lot of time experimenting with my work, trying new things and most of all, taking risks. That's it for Post reports. Thanks for listening. Our newsroom has been covering the federal takeover of D.C. police and the deployment of the National Guard in the city from every angle. You can stay up to date on this fast moving story with a one week pass for just $7. Learn more at washingtonpost.com weekpass Today's show was produced by me. It was mixed by Sean Carter and edited by Rena Flores. Thanks to Business editor Ellen Fessenden. Thanks to Katie Brown as well for being the first teacher to ever believe in me. I'm Tadeo Ruiz and ofal. We'll be back tomorrow with more stories, stories from the Washington Post.