Are you a recent high school graduate who found a job quickly?
By Bryan Mena, CNN
Washington (CNN) — The unemployment gap between young high school graduates and their counterparts who obtained a bachelor’s degree or higher has shrunk steadily over the past few years in a sign of structural shifts happening in the US economy.
A college degree has long helped Americans enter the work force and land high-paying jobs. That remains the case to this day, according to government data, but a university education could be losing its luster due to persistent affordability issues and employers slowing their hiring of recent college graduates.
Economists point to a growing number of companies relying on AI instead of young workers; a potential over-supply of people with a college education; and President Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigration during his second term. Meanwhile, job growth has been steady in retail, hospitality, transportation and the skilled trades — industries that typically employ people with only a high school education.
If you easily found a job after graduating from high school in recent years, tell us your story below.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.