reveliolabs.com/news/macro/was-2025-really-the-worst-year-to-graduate

This was a depressing read this morning. I’m not sure if there is a way to fix this or if that’s even realistic when the pipeline of pushing kids to take on predatory loans only to slash wages or even worse block off entry level jobs due to the rise of automation. I really feel for those trying to make their way when they were promised a dream that was based on a lie

jesus f***ing christ man i knew it was bad but not this bad

and to think the job market is only gonna get worse

how are these averages being calculated? Presumably this is primarily based around rather HCOL areas cuz I was making like 35k starting in 2018 and I’m now making 75k and I have a senior position

I do believe every graduating class has its own set of advantages and opportunities even if things are really uncertain but I do not envy anyone graduating or a year or two in or out of college rn

I don’t even see a realistic way to reverse this trend. Every single inch of the job market is being squeezed and truthfully it almost seems like you either need to know someone to get in a position these days which is not new but almost makes any higher education almost pointless

Fwiw my friend who graduated in 2018 is hiring at his job and he said new grads are looking for more money than when he graduated for a similar job so idk

I think the aggregate is cited in the link of the article. COVID definitely was an opportunistic time for folks but that trend has hard reversed course

Where or in what federal state/city were you making that if you don’t mind me asking

Wage theft of late stage capitalism

I am in a million person metro midwestern city

I would describe it as MCOL

Had two roommates tho otherwise it would not have been possible

Yea man its brutal and sad an the older folks dont get it

tend to the garden you can reach

be a good parent. not much else you can do

100% but bro we know a lot of people don’t have that safety net

post education work landscape is so f***ed I legit wouldn’t advise anyone to go to college if they have to take out any type of loan

trade school the only hope kids got left if they dont get scholarships. Then starting your own business from that trade after you get the hang of how the business works

I think it depends on the field you’re entering and where you live as well. 50k for entry level out of school job isn’t terrible. I’m pretty sure it was roughly in that ball park pre covid, so covid numbers are inflating what salaries are currently at.

I went through an apprenticeship program that is somewhat unique to my area that allowed me to segue into a white collar job. I’m beyond lucky (not that I didn’t work hard) that I knew immediately traditional college wasn’t for me so I didn’t get trapped in the debt cycle. Learning a skill that pays you and provides OTJ training definitely should be pushed more but we know schools don’t believe in that gotta keep the pipeline intact

But like the guy above said, get into a trade. You can get a certificate in half the time of going to school and make the same if it more.

I agree in a vacuum but inflation is rising YoY so even if the take home salary equates out the purchase power is not the same

Mm that is a good point. I do think it still stands though that covid f***ed the game up unfortunately.

For sure. I left my previous employer at an intermediate level in my field and got a pretty good pay bump relatively easy. Those opportunities are hard to come by now even for people with experience

And this is when art “dies”

Im not even disagreeing with you either lol.

This bro, omfg.

If it aint STEM, Law, or Medical, them other majors are an active scam. A business degree might as well be toilet paper.

Do something about it

been

All our Gen has highly variable outcomes due to the different ways to make money. But theres nothing really to it other than luck and society jsut keeps getting more f***ed while our normal job opportunities are becoming more scarce. While housing prices are absolutely cooked. Yeah it ain't lookin great for us I'm lucky I got a ft job cause I know ppl my age that's been lookin for over a year