#GraduateUnemployment

Job-seekers are sending far more applications than a year ago and still finding doors closed, with even master’s degree holders applying to 32–60 roles per month and many fresh graduates unable to land a first job. New data from an employment platform and recent industry studies point to a painful squeeze driven by AI-driven role disruption, “ghost” job postings, and an oversupplied pipeline of credentialed workers — trends that have implications for Thailand’s universities, employers and families who still place high cultural value on degrees. The emerging picture is one of growing mismatch between education and available work, eroding faith in higher education as a reliable route to economic security (Fortune: Degrees used to open doors—now even grads with master’s degrees are sending 60 job applications a month to no luck).

A global wave of AI-driven disruption is reshaping hiring, leaving many graduates—especially those with master’s degrees—facing a flood of applications and few job offers. Data from major employment platforms show that even highly educated job seekers submit dozens of applications each month, while fresh graduates struggle to land their first roles. In Thailand, universities, employers, and families are watching closely, as this trend challenges the long-held belief that higher education guarantees economic mobility.

Job-seekers across America are flooding employers with unprecedented numbers of applications yet finding themselves systematically excluded from opportunities, with even master’s degree holders submitting 32-60 applications monthly while fresh graduates struggle to secure their first positions. Comprehensive data from major employment platforms and industry research reveals a profound disruption driven by AI-powered job displacement, deceptive “ghost” job postings, and an oversaturated pipeline of credentialed workers competing for diminishing opportunities.

This employment crisis carries urgent implications for Thailand’s universities, employers, and families who have traditionally viewed higher education as a reliable pathway to middle-class prosperity. The emerging pattern suggests a fundamental mismatch between educational preparation and available work, systematically eroding public confidence in higher education as a vehicle for economic mobility and social advancement.

A new study has confirmed the suspicions of many young job seekers: Gen Z graduates are entering a job market far harsher than the one faced by their millennial predecessors. According to Kickresume, 58% of graduates in the past year are still searching for their first job, nearly twice the rate seen among millennials and Gen X at the beginning of their careers. The challenges are so severe that only 12% of recent graduates have secured a full-time position by the time they leave university—one-third the proportion seen in prior generations. This shift marks a fundamental break from the age-old assumption that a college degree guarantees a career path, and its ripple effects are being felt globally, including in Thailand, where young people are also facing rising uncertainty about their economic futures (Fortune).

A new study shows that Gen Z graduates face a harsher job market than previous generations. Globally and in Thailand, about 58% of graduates in the past year are still seeking their first full-time position, nearly double the rate for earlier cohorts. Only around 12% secure full-time work by graduation, a fraction of prior norms. This trajectory echoes across Thai society, where uncertainty about earnings is rising among young people.

Thailand’s aspiring tech professionals have long looked to computer science as a sure path to lucrative employment. However, new research suggests this once-reliable route may be faltering—reflecting unexpected global shifts that are raising urgent questions for education policy and career planning in the Kingdom. According to a recent report by the New York Federal Reserve, unemployment rates among recent computer science (CS) and computer engineering graduates in the United States have surged, ranking among the highest for all majors and exposing vulnerabilities in the supposed “future-proof” tech job market (New York Fed).

Thailand’s push to make coding a passport to good jobs has shaped student choices for years. New global findings, however, suggest that the popular belief in “learn to code” securing a bright future may be shifting. A recent assessment indicates rising unemployment among new computer science and computer engineering graduates in the United States, a development that prompts reflection on education policy and career planning in Thailand.

This matters for Thai readers because the country has aggressively expanded digital literacy and coding curricula in schools and higher education. Policymakers have urged students to embrace coding as a pathway to stable wages, a view echoed by Thai parents, teachers, and students. Enrollment in university CS programs climbed, while private coding schools expanded in Bangkok and other provincial capitals. As global trends become clearer, Thailand must consider what these signals mean for its own education system and job market.