Why young graduates are struggling to find jobs worldwide

Landing your first job: The struggle of young graduates in the UK

"Degree, no job." According to the UK's Office for National Statistics (ONS), 16.1% of 16-24 year-olds are unable to find work, which is nearly three times the national average of 5.1%. The reasons most commonly cited include the seemingly endless global economic "crisis," the steady rise in the minimum wage (+6.7% in 2025, +4.1% in 2026), and the increase in employer National Insurance contributions from 13.5% to 15% in 2024, alongside a lowering of the contribution threshold from £9,100 to £5,000 per year.

Rising immigration costs are limiting job opportunities for young expat graduates

The situation is especially challenging for foreign graduates. Some companies openly admit to turning down non-British candidates. The tightening of immigration rules that began with Brexit and continued under both the Sunak and Starmer governments has driven up costs on both sides of the hiring equation. Those looking to move to the UK for work must now pay between £769 and £1,751 in visa fees and £1,035 in NHS surcharges, not to mention additional expenses such as UK study costs or English language tests.

These rising costs are shutting out international talent, particularly those who can't find a company willing to sponsor them. This is, to some extent, a deliberate outcome: the UK government wants to prioritize applications from British nationals and foreign residents already in the country (such as international students). In practice, many of those affected feel that "the UK doesn't want them", or, more precisely, that there's a growing gap between the government's stated ambition to attract global talent and the reality on the ground. For those without a degree, the situation is even more precarious.

Competition with AI 

There's another challenge looming over young graduates: the growing threat of AI. Entry-level roles typically involve tasks such as data analysis and processing, writing basic reports, and supporting communication strategies. These are time-consuming tasks that AI can now handle with ease. Both British and foreign graduates agree that it's hard to compete with AI in terms of speed. According to them, companies are increasingly turning to AI tools for exactly this kind of work.

The result? Entry-level positions are disappearing. Highly qualified graduates are scrambling for roles below their skill level or being forced to change direction entirely. This hits foreign graduates especially hard, as they face a brutal job market the moment they finish their studies. Locals and expats alike share the same frustration: it's nearly impossible to get that first foot in the door when even "entry-level" or "junior" roles require months, sometimes years, of prior experience.

A "Throwaway Generation": Gen Z and the global jobs crisis

Alan Milburn, chair of the government commission behind a report on youth employment, has warned that rising youth unemployment risks creating an entire "throwaway generation." But is this a UK-specific problem? Which countries are Gen Z struggling in the most when it comes to landing that first job?

The "experience paradox": How young graduates around the world are being left behind

It's a frustration shared by locals and expats in the UK alike: how do you get a job when every employer keeps pointing to a "lack of experience"? And how do you gain experience without getting a job in the first place?

Disillusionment is spreading among young UK graduates, and the same despair is being felt by their peers in China, Belgium, Australia, France, Canada, and beyond. They're taking to social media to share their stories, and the picture they paint is strikingly similar to what's happening in the UK. "You can't get a job without experience, and you can't get experience without a job," said one young Australian, summing up the country's job market in a nutshell. AI keeps coming up in these conversations, too. Young graduates are increasingly frustrated by AI-driven screening at every stage, from résumé filtering to job interviews. In Australia, 9% of young people are unemployed, more than double the national average, according to the Australian government.

Belgium is also seeing a "significant" drop in employment rates among 18-24 year-olds. Many of them are graduates with internship experience, yet they keep hitting a wall when trying to break into the job market. The education system is designed to prepare students progressively for professional life, but Belgian economists argue that longer study periods don't explain the delayed entry into the workforce. They point instead to a structural problem with youth integration into the labor market — one that is taking a serious toll on the morale of young job seekers.

Spotlight: China

Caught between hope and disappointment, young Belgian graduates are fighting hard for their first role. The picture looks much the same in China, where young graduates are growing increasingly desperate. According to a study published by the Hong Kong Economic Journal (HKEJ) in March 2025, China has an estimated 30 million unemployed graduates. Accurate figures are hard to come by, as official statistics are widely believed to understate the reality. The data appears to be skewed to maintain the image of a thriving economy and protect the reputations of Chinese universities. Those universities continue to attract international students, partly because tuition costs are far lower than those of American, Canadian, or Australian institutions. This year, more than 30 Chinese universities charge no tuition fees at all.

So what are the options? Many young graduates end up settling for survival jobs that have nothing to do with their field of study. Others drop out of the job market altogether, convinced there's no place for them in it. In 2025, the unemployment rate among 16-24 year-olds reached 18.9%, which is more than three times the national unemployment rate of 5.3%.

Spotlight: France

In France, youth unemployment among 15-24 year-olds stands at 19%. A study by APEC (the French association for managerial employment), published in November 2025, found that Master's graduates (five-year degrees) are finding it increasingly difficult to land their first job. Those with degrees in languages, humanities, and the arts are hit hardest, compared to graduates in healthcare, science, or technology. A striking 84% of young graduates say they struggled to find their first job, up from 61% in 2022. For experts, this signals a deteriorating economic climate in which companies are reluctant to hire and prefer to play it safe.

Young French graduates themselves appear torn between mobility and stability: they're willing to move abroad for better opportunities, but worry they won't find a role that matches their qualifications. In practice, many are already working jobs unrelated to their field. As in the UK, foreign graduates in France are particularly vulnerable. Tightening immigration rules have made an already difficult situation even harder.

Could the root causes of this employment crisis actually be more global in nature? Specialists in professional integration point to a broader slowdown in youth hiring, observed notably across Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. The current geopolitical climate is forcing companies to rethink their hiring strategies. That said, one factor is specific to France: the political instability triggered by the dissolution of the National Assembly in June 2024 put recruitment on hold. The passage of the budget in February 2026 offers some hope for stabilization, even if it hasn't satisfied everyone. Some international students, for example, may risk losing their housing assistance.

What does this mean for young expats and those considering a move abroad?

Should we expect a pullback in expatriation in 2026? Not necessarily. Interest in studying abroad and pursuing international careers remains strong. Yes, the global geopolitical situation calls for caution. Yet paradoxically, young people are still choosing to move abroad, precisely because they feel the need to "live their dreams now." It's a mindset that has become increasingly common since the end of the pandemic. Despite immigration reforms in expats' favorite destinations and despite the economic headwinds, young people remain determined to seek out and create professional opportunities in 2026.