"Gen Z is often derided as a lazy, unambitious generation of workers uninterested in climbing the corporate ladder. But contrary to popular belief, they're just as determined as millennials or Gen Xers to get their careers off the ground, despite the odds seemingly stacked against them. From AI agents taking over entry-level roles to employers padding their reputations with "ghost" jobs, the labor market has become the Wild West. Even educators are waving the red flag."
"Rob Breare, CEO of independent U.K. school system Malvern College International, recently said onstage at the Fortune Global Forum conference. "I saw a rather shocking statistic in the U.K. earlier this week," Breare continued, referencing an Institute of Student Employers (ISE) statistic that 1.2 million applications were submitted for just 17,000 U.K. graduate roles in 2023/2024. The depressing figure, he said, "starts to give you the idea of just how competitive that market has become.""
"Last year marked the highest number of applications per job ever recorded since the ISE started tracking the data in 1991. And it perfectly encapsulates the dreary state of job hunting: thousands of applicants submitted for a single role, candidates spending years trawling employment sites, and fresh-faced graduates shut out of entry-level gigs. And the U.S. is feeling it, too."
Gen Z remains as determined as previous generations to build careers despite severe labor-market obstacles. Entry-level roles increasingly face automation by AI agents and employers advertise inflated or "ghost" positions, shrinking real opportunities. U.K. data shows 1.2 million applications competed for just 17,000 graduate roles in 2023/2024, while 2021/2022 saw far fewer applicants and more hires. Last year recorded the highest applications-per-job since 1991, producing thousands of applicants per opening. Many graduates now spend years searching employment sites without landing entry-level jobs. The U.S. job market shows similar pressure.
Read at Fortune
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