Months of hot takes have blamed Gen Z for bad attitudes, no work ethic, and too many demands. But labor market data tells a far less convenient story. The entry-level rungs of the employment ladder are splintering beneath America’s youngest workers — and the data makes clear this isn’t a generational character flaw. It’s a structural collapse.
Headline indicators suggest a strong labor market. Under the hood, persistent weaknesses are festering. The “low-hire, low-fire” market means employers are hesitant to make any changes to their payroll. For mid-career employees, that stability is a relief. For young people trying to land a first job, it’s a dead end.
In 2025, the share of unemployed Americans who are new workforce entrants hit a 37-year high, peaking at 13.3% in July before settling at 10.6% this February. That is still higher than at any point during the Great Recession. When hiring slows, the door closes first on recent graduates and those new to the workforce.
[Moved the 37-year high stat up and made it the paragraph’s lead — it’s the piece’s most alarming single data point and was previously buried as a supporting detail. “That’s still higher than any point during the Great Recession” elevated to its own sentence for emphasis.]
