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The April employment report was better than expected. The economy added 115,000 jobs (about twice what analysts predicted), and the unemployment rate remained at 4.3%.

That said, Diane Swonk, chief economist at KPMG, says that the positive result “looks better on paper than it feels to most workers.” It seems like the Class of 2026 agrees.

According to a recent Gallup poll, “Youth optimism about the U.S. job market has fallen sharply in 2024 and 2025, even as the worst of the pandemic disruptions and inflation have receded.” The anxiety among young workers and soon-to-be graduates appears to be warranted. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (based on March data), recent college grads (aged 22-27) have an unemployment rate of 5.6%, which is lower than the 7.2% rate for all young workers but a lot higher than the 3.1% rate for all college grads.

According to Indeed, “junior-level job postings fell 7% year-over-year in 2025, while senior-level postings rose 4%.” Additionally, college grads are trying to break into a labor market that could see AI replace many of the coveted entry-level jobs that they seek. As a result, Monster’s 2026 State of the Graduate Report found 75% would accept a job they expect to leave within a year if it provides immediate income. That makes sense, especially if those grads are carrying student loans.

One thing that stood out in the report was the value placed on job security. When asked about the top priorities when evaluating job offers, 67% of respondents said they would trade higher pay for long-term stability. In fact, job security has now edged out career growth as more important to the degree-holders. Security usually pops up when students are graduating into a recession, but by all measures, the economy is growing. I’m guessing that this is a combination of how hard it is to find a job and fear of AI.

To quell some of those anxieties, some smart people are trying to think about which skills are important as the AI revolution continues. Ezra Klein recently wrote an op-ed titled, “Why the A.I. Job Apocalypse (Probably) Won’t Happen,” in which he argued that “our ability to relate, sensitively and deeply, to other human beings will be a central and valuable skill.” He is more pessimistic about young people being able to be relational, but I have recently been uplifted by interactions with twenty-somethings, so I think it is entirely possible that AI forces the digital first generation to lean into who they are and how they relate to others.

For those in the job-hunting process, here is my handy, crowdsourced career advice from workers in their 20s and 30s:

—Use every possible human connection you have, including your family, your family’s friends, and anyone who can pluck your resume out of obscurity and route it to the right person at an organization.

—Do as many practice interviews as you can, especially tailored to each type of position you're interested in.

—Your first years don't define your career; this is a long game. What matters more than early wins is how you observe/grow, how you build your story, and how you create good habits.

—Stop looking for your “dream job” — it probably doesn’t exist. Take any job in your field or at an organization you admire. Get your foot in the door and start building your resume.

—Say yes to opportunities that come your way. You might end up learning valuable new skills and meeting mentors who help you down the line.

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(Jill Schlesinger, CFP, is a CBS News business analyst. A former options trader and CIO of an investment advisory firm, she welcomes comments and questions at askjill@jillonmoney.com. Check her website at www.jillonmoney.com)

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