“Get a Degree, Get a Job” Stopped Working—Labor Research Says

For decades, the formula was simple: go to college, land a job, and move steadily up the ladder. A degree was supposed to be the golden ticket to stability. But in 2025, that promise looks more like a myth than a guarantee.

New research shows the cracks are impossible to ignore.

Data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that long-term unemployed people—those out of work for more than six months—now make up nearly 26% of all unemployed individuals, the highest share in years.

Even more shocking? One-third of those long-term unemployed are college graduates. Just ten years ago, they made up only one-fifth.

The math is clear: more degrees no longer equal more security.

Highly educated workers are finding themselves in the exact same spot they were told they’d avoid: unemployed, broke, and ignored by employers.

Take Sean Wittmeyer, for example. Two master’s degrees, years of experience in tech and construction—and still unemployed for over a year.

In a New York Times article, Wittmeyer revealed that despite his credentials, he’s been unemployed for over a year. Employers label him “overqualified” for entry-level roles and pass him over for anything senior.

Or Katie Gallagher, a former sales and marketing director who’s applied to thousands of jobs since her layoff. No callbacks. No offers. Just a brutal cycle of rejection, depression, and financial stress.

The old promise—work hard, get degrees, and you’ll be safe—is unraveling in real time.

So why has “the degree advantage” collapsed? Economists point to a few big shifts:

• AI & automation: White-collar jobs that used to require degrees—finance, planning, even parts of law—are being replaced by algorithms.
• Mass layoffs: Tech and corporate downsizing hit degree-holders hardest, especially in fields that were once considered safe.
• Broken hiring pipelines: AI-driven job platforms filter out candidates en masse, leaving even well-qualified graduates invisible in giant applicant pools.

Meanwhile, non-college workers are doing relatively better. Trades and vocational paths are short-staffed and hiring, while white-collar grads face endless bottlenecks.

Not completely. Degrees still matter in law, medicine, engineering, and other regulated fields. And lifetime earnings are still higher on average for degree holders.

But here’s the catch: that advantage is shrinking fast, especially for Gen Z. A Fortune analysis shows that young men with college degrees now face unemployment rates as high as their peers without degrees.

Surveys confirm this growing disillusionment. Around 25% of Gen Z openly regret going to college, and more concerning is that over 60% work in jobs unrelated to what they studied.

In other words, college isn’t worthless—but it’s no longer the safe bet we were raised to believe it was.

The job market doesn’t care about the diploma on your wall—it cares about what you can actually do.

Employers are rewarding adaptability, practical skills, and hands-on experience. That’s why vocational schools are booming, with enrollment up nearly 20% since 2020.

It’s also why grads who stack their degrees with internships, projects, or certifications tend to survive the market better than those who rely on credentials alone.

The lesson is simple: degrees aren’t dead, but they’re no longer enough. The future belongs to workers who can adapt, pivot, and prove real-world value.