Class of 2025 Faces a Tough Job Market—Here’s What We Can Learn from 2020 Grads

The Class of 2025 is entering a workforce filled with uncertainty: delayed job offers, fewer openings, and the increasing use of AI in hiring have made the transition from college to career more difficult than expected. According to The Wall Street Journal (June 2025), hiring for new grads is down 44% from 2022, with 6.6% unemployment for young degree-holders—one of the highest rates in a decade outside of the pandemic.
In this blog, we explore what today’s graduates are facing, what they can learn from 2020 grads who entered during the pandemic, and how workforce leaders can better support them.

A New Job Market with Familiar Struggles
In a WSJ group chat, members of the Class of 2025 shared stories of delayed start dates and fruitless job searches. Their experience echoed what 2020 grads faced when COVID-19 disrupted hiring pipelines.

“I followed the playbook, and now the playbook—it stopped,” said Cameron Allen, whose job offer was deferred to 2026.
AI has added a new layer of complexity. Several students reported submitting hundreds of applications without receiving interviews. One grad noted, “I’ve done two internships with a company and still feel like my applications go into a black hole.”

Still, 2020 grads urged persistence: focus on quality applications, build relationships, and connect with real people—not just job boards.
Allegro’s Perspective: Listening to Opportunity Youth
In 2024, Allegro launched the Opportunity Youth Engagement Project in partnership with SCPaWorks to understand why young people (ages 18–24) weren’t accessing regional career services like CareerLink. Through our Path2Purpose program, we offered a custom technology platform that featured branding, a website, a digital career assessment, and one-on-one virtual counseling sessions.

Our research revealed what many employers and workforce boards overlook: young people want personalized, tech-enabled, and human-centered support when navigating career decisions—especially in uncertain markets like today.

Networking Over Applications
2025 grads, much like their 2020 counterparts, are learning that success isn’t just about submitting resumes—it’s about relationships. Many said they’ve found opportunities not through online portals, but through professors, mentors, and even casual conversations.

“The minute I started sharing my goals with people, doors began to open,” said Lily Clark (2020 grad).

At Allegro, we consistently find that trusted relationships are a top factor in moving opportunity youth from uncertainty to engagement. Career navigation needs to be personal, not transactional.

A Shift from Passion to Practicality
More than 60% of the Class of 2025 have already abandoned their “dream job” in favor of something more stable, according to a recent Handshake survey. Some have accepted roles outside their majors; others are leaning into consulting or rotational programs for exposure and flexibility.

“I can’t afford to be picky right now,” one 2025 graduate said. “I’ll work into the job I want later.”

This mindset mirrors what we observed in the Path2Purpose project: young adults are open to many career paths—but only if they’re guided through options in a way that feels relevant and achievable.

The 2025 job market is not unlike that of 2020. Both classes are redefining how to launch their careers in unpredictable times. While AI and economic uncertainty complicate job seeking, community, flexibility, and guidance remain central to helping them move forward.

About Allegro Workforce
Allegro Workforce leverages technology, data, and deep community partnerships to transform how workforce challenges are solved. We empower employers, job seekers, and ecosystem leaders with innovative platforms and strategies that close gaps, create opportunity, and drive equitable, measurable outcomes across the workforce landscape.