10/29/2026
This is so true
Young Americans without college degrees are having one of their best job markets in 20 years. Young college grads are having one of their worst.
Both are happening at the same time.
That's from a Burning Glass Institute analysis of workers ages 22 to 34. Its chief economist said he doesn't think the shift is temporary.
The trades are short on workers as Baby Boomers retire, and those jobs can't be done from a laptop. Meanwhile AI is eating the entry-level tasks companies used to hire new graduates to do.
To be fair, a degree still pays off overall. Among workers 25 to 54, unemployment is about 2.7% for college grads versus 4.7% for people with only a high school diploma.
But the gap is shrinking, and the price of the degree keeps climbing.
Here's what I'd tell any 17-year-old right now.
College is still a great move for some careers, and a terrible one for others. A $100,000 degree that lands you in a job that never required one is the most expensive mistake a family can make.
An electrician with no student debt who's booked out six weeks is doing better than a lot of people with diplomas on the wall.
Pick the career first, then decide if you need the degree to get there.
