Degree to dead end: College grads are 1 in 3 of America’s long-term unemployed

College graduates now comprise over 30% of America’s long-term unemployed—the highest in two decades—signalling a major shift in the labour market. Technological disruption, automation, and diminished demand for degree-holders are driving long-term joblessness among the educated. Underemployment also affects over 41% of graduates, many earning only slightly more than secondary school leavers. As employers drop degree requirements and vocational enrolments rise, the economic return of higher education is increasingly in question, particularly for young male graduates in tech fields.