ICYMI, I went live last week with
– financial content creator and the author of ‘In This Economy? How Money and Markets Work’, and a member of Gen Z herself. Kyla has a knack for making sense of the economy and breaking down the forces reshaping it today. Kyla engaged early with my theory of the Two Gen Zs and added her own layers to it, helping expand the conversation. You may know her as the originator of the term ‘Vibecession’. For the record, she says we’re not in one right now… though the labor market for Gen Z tells a different story.You can listen to our full conversation above, including her thoughts on the Two Gen Zs.
The data on Gen Z jobs
As Kyla and I discussed, the job market for Gen Z is bleak. In listening sessions and 1:1 conversations last spring, I heard early signs that recent grads were struggling to find work amid the rise of AI. Heading into the fall, the data confirms those worries, and the picture has only grown more stark.
According to an August Bureau of Labor Statistics report, the unemployment rate for 16-24-year-olds is 10.5%. That stat has circulated widely, including in Scott Galloway’s Prof G Market’s newsletter this week. Further analysis from July showed that the youth employment rate dropped from 54.5% in July 2024 to 53.1% in July 2025. (July is “the summertime peak in youth employment” per BLS.)
A Bank of America Institute report from August also shows that in July, more than 13% of unemployed Americans were “new entrants,” i.e. those with no prior work experience, mostly Gen Z. That’s the highest percentage since 1988.
Why does this matter? When it comes to unemployment, young people are being hit harder than older generations — and they’re not all getting the education or training that could help them adapt.
According to BofA: “Some 289 million young people globally are neither gaining professional experience through a job nor developing skills by participating in an educational or vocational program, limiting economic gains.”
In my live conversation with Kyla, she also mentioned a recent paper from Stanford’s Digital Economy Lab indicating AI’s impact on entry level jobs and workers.
This is deja vu. In our Class of 2025 report, seniors in The Up and Up Community said they feared their degrees were already outdated as AI took hold and lamented that their college education wasn’t focused on AI. Some even worried their diplomas would be immediately worthless on graduation day.
Looking ahead: As I wrote in The Washington Post last month, students are clamoring for AI education. A few schools, including Ohio State University, are responding, requiring AI fluency courses for undergrads. That’s a smart start (and strategic move on the part of the school), but far from enough.
If the data is right, we’re looking at a tough year for young workers, and staring down a generational reset in how people enter the workforce. Without faster moves from schools to equip Gen Z with tangible AI skills, the risk isn’t just higher unemployment, it’s a generation left behind before they reach the starting line. And if employers start treating entry-level jobs as disposable, Gen Z won’t just struggle to find jobs, they’ll be shut out of shaping the future of work all together.
A listening session on free speech, campus debate, and political discourse
In the wake of the tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk, the conversation about campus dialogue is pertinent. Tomorrow evening at 5pm ET, The Up and Up is hosting a listening session for high school and college students on free speech, campus debate, and political discourse. If there are young people in your lives who may be interested in joining, please send me an email or Instagram DM, and I will share the link to join. I hope to hear from you.
Noteworthy reads
How Charlie Kirk remade Gen Z, Christian Paz for Vox (featuring my thoughts on Kirk’s massive impact)
How Gen Z-led protests are rattling governments across Asia, Mithil Aggarwal, Janhvi Bhojwani and Jay Ganglani for NBC News
Gen Z and Millennials Prefer Socialism to Capitalism, New Poll Says, Lex McMenamin for Teen Vogue
