… a lot of people are talking about it because they realize it’s not their fault. It’s not that their kid’s an idiot … it’s just so much bigger than the individual kids. -WSJ
The economy is changing. Young adults are facing a harrowing set of challenges that many are seeing for the first time, as are their parents.
Some young folks are able to rely on financially-stabilized families. And what for those without?
Today’s job search is different. The job market is different. There are new sets of obstacles: tariffs putting the brakes on hiring, AI picking off entry-level roles. I hardly feel like mentioning the albatross of healthcare costs and home prices.
I believe my grandparents rented just a single bedroom in a home when they first married. Are we asking young adults to bear a natural coming-of-age shock, or is this something altogether different?
Will these circumstances compel new, hard, and practical adaptations? I feel unnerved thinking that some of the least supported could find themselves in places of real vulnerability.
In all the contortions of one young person’s job hunt, she was asked to write an obit for herself at a networking event – to help channel focus. Personally, I have never found this thought process to be wholly resonant. (I think my cat could write a fair eulogy for me to be honest.)
The following WSJ article has 1,490 comments. I think I will spend time browsing them to get some more boots on the ground thoughts …
‘The Economy That’s Great for Parents, Lousy for Their Grown-Up Kids‘
https://www.wsj.com/personal-finance/old-young-economic-divide-7a5203f0
Plus more details from a CNBC article:
- Postings for entry-level jobs in the U.S. sank 35% since 2023
- Some industries are more prone to disruption, such as tech and finance
- Others are more insulated for now, including nursing and blue-collar jobs
‘AI puts the squeeze on new grads — and the colleges that promised to make them employable’
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/11/15/ai-puts-the-squeeze-on-new-grads-looking-for-work.html
Civil Twilight 