US Computer Science Graduates Face 6.1% Unemployment Amid AI Job Cuts

Recent college graduates in the United States, particularly those with computer science degrees, are facing unprecedented challenges securing employment amid a rapidly evolving job market impacted by AI advancements and economic uncertainty. Manasi Mishra, a computer science graduate from Purdue University, exemplifies this struggle, having received only one job interview from Chipotle, which she declined due to insufficient hours, despite extensive coding experience and early ambitions fueled by industry promises of lucrative tech careers. The rise of AI tools like those adopted by major companies such as Amazon and Microsoft is displacing traditional coding roles, contributing to a 6.1% unemployment rate among computer science graduates aged 22 to 27. Beyond tech, the overall unemployment rate for recent graduates remains unusually high at 5.8%, the highest in over a decade outside the pandemic period, with new hiring down 16% year-over-year as sectors that typically employ new graduates slow down. Analysts attribute these trends to cyclical post-pandemic hiring slowdowns and economic uncertainty during the early Trump administration, creating a harsh reality for many young graduates burdened by student debt and experience requirements that often exceed entry-level expectations. This combination of technological displacement and economic factors has disrupted the once-promising outlook for recent graduates, challenging the long-held belief that a college degree in computer science guarantees a secure and well-paying job.