Editor’s Note: This article was written for Mosaic, an independent journalism training program for high school students who report and photograph stories under the guidance of professional journalists.
As job requirements have risen and available positions have declined, college students and recent grads are now struggling to land full-time employment.
Param Pal, a San Jose State University business graduate, was back on campus within a month of commencement for a job fair. Despite having a degree, Pal has faced rejections for jobs ranging from Uber corporate to local restaurant management.
¨A bachelor’s degree is just not enough,¨ Pal said.
He is not alone in this feeling, as students with bachelor’s degrees are grappling with the competitive job market and resorting to pursuing other paths while they look for a job.
College graduates, regardless of their major, are struggling to find jobs. In California, statistics show a 9.7% unemployment rate for 20- to 24 -year-olds in April 2025 compared with 5.2% for the overall population, according to the California Demographics Labor Force report from the state’s Employment Development Department.
“Silicon Valley entry-level positions, requiring 2 to 5 years of experience, and corporations aren´t actively looking for new employees or to take a chance on inexperienced and new grads,” said Akif Khaled, an employment specialist with PATH, a nonprofit that focuses on helping people find employment.
A study by Oxford Economics, a global economic advisory firm, backed that up, noting ¨there are signs that entry-level positions are being displaced by artificial intelligence at higher rates.¨
The source for gaining experience is no longer entry-level jobs, but rather internships, often without benefits and with irregular work hours. And even getting internships is a struggle, Pal said.
¨I applied to about 200 internships and heard back from less than 20,¨ Pal said.
Pal’s solution is to head back to school. ¨I am going to get my MBA to be more job competitive,¨ he said. ¨Master’s has become the new bachelor’s.”
A study by the Council of Graduate Schools, a national advocacy group, says there was a 5.6% increase in grad school applications from fall 2022 to fall 2024. At San Jose State, graduate school enrollment has increased from 7,831 in fall 2019 to 9,299 in fall 2024.
Graduate school isn’t the only recourse. Jake Liebler, a recent SJSU philosophy graduate,can’t commit the time and money to getting a master’s degree. If the poor job market continues, Liebler plans on pivoting to entrepreneurship. He is looking into creating his own business, maybe selling goods on Etsy, working freelance or going into a landscaping business with the help of friends.
“Entry-level positions don’t exist,” Lieber said. “The only thing entry-level about them is the pay.”
Some students have started marketing and selling goods online as a source of income. Liebler plans on using social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok as a free way of marketing his business. With small businesses and online shopping on the rise, Liebler thinks he can succeed.
Like other students in his situation, Lieber is willing to change from his major and original career idea in order to make a living.
“The only work experience I have gotten with a degree is at concession stands,” he said.
Sami Khan is a member of the class of 2026 at James Logan High School in Union City