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There are more jobs available in the United States than people officially considered unemployed, yet the underemployment rate among recent college graduates—those ages 22-27 who are either unemployed or in jobs that don't require their education and skills—remains at over 40 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Young adults ages 22-27 without a college degree are even worse off, with an unemployment rate about double of those with degrees.
Some emerging professionals seeking entry-level jobs are faced with a daunting conundrum—companies are asking new graduates to already have years of experience before they even apply for entry-level jobs, making it more difficult for some young adults to gain a foothold in the labor market.
"For recent college graduates, nothing is more frustrating than applying for entry-level jobs that require experience," said Brian Weed, CEO of Avenica, a recruiting firm focused on young professionals just out of school. "Unfortunately, employers are limiting their ability to hire a large group of high-performing, entry-level people by setting the barrier of experience too high for many otherwise-qualified candidates. This hiring strategy, which may help simplify the recruiting process by screening out more applicants, is holding back companies that need the best talent at the entry level to stay competitive."
A recent analysis of over 95,000 job postings by job-matching software firm TalentWorks revealed how difficult it can be for newly minted grads to find an entry-level job within their experience level. The research found that 61 percent...