Men college grads pause job search efforts in U.S.
YORK, UNITED STATES — Recent U.S. college graduates are encountering a cooling job market, with a gender gap in their responses.
As opportunities dwindle, young college-educated women persist in their job search, frequently accepting part-time work or positions for which they are overqualified.
On the other hand, many young men are pausing their job search efforts, with one in five under the age of 25 neither employed nor actively looking for work, according to Bloomberg News analysis of government data.
Contrasting workforce participation
Natasha Quadlin, a sociologist at UCLA, suggests that women tend to be more resourceful and practical about earning money in challenging times, while men may feel societal pressure to secure specific types of jobs.
This proactive approach helps them maintain slightly lower rates of underemployment compared to their male peers, a report by the Burning Glass Institute suggests.
“Perhaps men think that it’s not socially acceptable to get these types of piecemeal jobs, that they’re not meeting expectations,” Quadlin explains.
Industry-specific challenges
The current job market slowdown has particularly affected male-dominated industries such as technology and finance. This shift has led to job eliminations and hiring freezes, putting college-educated men at a disadvantage.
“It kind of feels delusional now, but I was thinking I could get a $100,000 job,” shared Brandon Solon, a 23-year-old computer science graduate from Marietta, Georgia, who became discouraged after extensive job hunting yielded no interviews.
Adapting to market realities
Female graduates are showing greater flexibility in their job search. They are more likely to accept positions outside their field of study, open to part-time work or jobs not requiring a degree, and demonstrate adaptability in starting their careers.
“Young men are more likely to bide their time until they land a position with the kind of pay they expect, even if it means taking time off from their job search,” says Harry Holzer, a professor of public policy at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy.
“Whereas maybe young women feel more pressure to make good use of this time.”
Societal shifts and economic necessities are also influencing job search strategies.
More graduates are opting to live with family while searching for jobs, a trend facilitated by decreased societal stigma around staying at home.
According to the Census Bureau, over 70% of young adults under 25 lived with relatives last year, a record high excluding pandemic years.
The current job market presents unique challenges for recent graduates. While the gender gap in approaches is evident, both men and women are finding ways to be familiar with the corporate world, whether through persistence, adaptability, or strategic pauses in their career pursuits.
