While AI gets a bad rap as a cause of unemployment among new grads, an analysis by the Federal Reserve found that the issue predates AI’s burst onto the scene. The real culprit is remote work, which became common during the pandemic in 2020. The practice still continues.
According to the Fed’s research, remote work today is responsible for 64 percent of lacking employment among recent college graduates. The reason is that working remotely cheats new workers out of receiving feedback and mentorship from more experienced colleagues. This is especially important for employees just starting to climb the corporate ladder.
The Fed illuminated another finding that affected remote workers. Even after firms required a return to the office in the latter years of the pandemic, the young remote workers were overlooked. Because they did not possess the skills they would have learned from working with colleagues in person, firms hired workers who wouldn’t require training regardless of age.
However, the picture changed rather dramatically when analyzing in-office jobs. Although new grad unemployment went up at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, it soon returned to baseline. Today, even accounting for AI, unemployment rates remain the same for young and experienced workers alike, as long as they work in house.
Coacci, J. (2026, June 1). Remote work may be fueling youth unemployment. The Wall Street Journal. https://www.wsj.com
Why Interviewers Like the “Your Weaknesses” Question
Nearly every interviewer ultimately asks candidates about their weaknesses; the answer to this question tells interviewers much more about the candidate than a lack of strength in specific skills or tasks does. Instead, responses to this question say a lot about an individual, including the following:
- Self-awareness. How candidates evaluate their performance and identify areas to improve shows maturity.
- Honesty and integrity. Being authentic and transparent provides hiring managers insight into a candidate’s work ethic and core beliefs.
- Growth mindset. When candidates discuss skills to improve, they show a growth mindset, which is highly valued in the workplace.
- Resilience. Discussing a setback or limitation shows grit and adaptability.
Herrity, J. (2026, May 18). A helpful list of example weaknesses for interviewing. Indeed.com. https://www.indeed.com
Hirers Now Want Liberal Arts and Social Sciences Majors
A college major has always been a big decision in students’ lives, but today it matters even more. In a labor market slow to hire where AI has made entry-level jobs more difficult to land, a major may be the most important item on a new-hire’s résumé.
LinkedIn data identified the 20 most common majors for hiring in industries typically related to a specific field (i.e., biology) and majors that allowed the versatility to pivot to other industries (i.e., communication.) For instance, engineering graduates leave college with a specific body of knowledge that focuses their choices for work. Social sciences and humanities majors, on the other hand, can adapt to a range of industries if they capitalize on their discipline’s versatility.
As an example, the data revealed that 60 percent of English majors found jobs outside traditional English major fields such as teaching or writing—most likely because they possessed uniquely human skills that cannot be duplicated by AI such as communication and critical thinking. That’s quite a turnaround for graduates of majors considered hopelessly unemployable not long ago.
Connley-Hampton, C. (2026, June 30). College majors with the most career opportunities. Careers Newsletter. Forbes. https://forbes.com
