College grads upended by unemployment
By: Leah Fabel
Examiner Staff Writer
July 9, 2009
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| Linda LeNoir, assistant director of student support services speaks to a student at the University Career Center at the University of Maryland (Andrew Harnik/Examiner) |
The job market for recent college graduates is the bleakest it's been since 1983, forcing a generation that has basked in possibilities to contend with dwindling prospects.
And that's only when they're trying to avoid mowing Mom and Dad's lawn.
"I've taken on the role of a teenager again," said Jeremy Kelly, jobless despite a successful background in doctoral-level HIV/AIDS research at George Mason University. "I'm not paying rent, but it's funny being told to mow the lawn at 28 years old."
Eric Donahue, 21, just graduated from the University of Maryland with an undergraduate degree in economics.
"I've gotten a lot of replies from employers saying I'm not qualified, but even more disconcerting is when they don't send anything back at all," he said.
Donahue moved home to southern Maryland and spends time applying for jobs and practicing with his band. And mowing the lawn.
"I just told him to cut the grass, as a matter of fact," said Donahue's father, Bryan.
"I really love him and we like having him around," he said, but added that he worries about the job market and has been encouraging his son to apply to graduate school. He joked that someone should check back with him in six months to see whether his son's stay was still welcome.
"I really love him and we like having him around," he said, but added that he worries about the job market and has been encouraging his son to apply to graduate school. He joked that someone should check back with him in six months to see whether his son's stay was still welcome.
Kelly and Donahue are hardly alone. The most recent unemployment rate was nearly 6 percent for people 27 years and younger with a bachelor's degree or higher, or nearly double the rate of just two years ago, according to an analysis by the Washington-based Economic Policy Institute. And according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, an organization of career counselors, employers say they will hire 22 percent fewer college graduates than last year.
While 6 percent unemployment for recent graduates still beats the 9.5 percent unemployment rate for all workers, it's significantly higher than the rate for college graduates of all ages.
"It's been pretty easy for this generation, so they've let their guard down a bit," said Linda LeNoir, assistant director and 27-year counselor at the University of Maryland's career center. "For them it's been about the click of a button, but finding a job in this economy is going to take more than the click of a button."
Amy Suddarth graduated in the spring with a biology degree from Virginia's Christopher Newport University and now spends time every day or so checking around on job sites like Monster.com, but so far without luck.
"I told a friend the other day, 'I cracked. I've applied to restaurants,' " Suddarth said.
Meanwhile Kelly tries to downplay his Ph.D. candidacy on applications to places like Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Target, the local movie theater, Arby's and Panera Bread, he said. But even so, he hasn't heard back and suspects it may have to do with his upward mobility.
"This is the first time a degree has worked against me," he said.
LeNoir said that Kelly, Donahue, Suddarth and thousands like them will do best to go back to the job-search basics of personal networking and getting a foot in the door, even if it's not a dream job.
"This generation was raised with things not as tough -- they're not used to tough," she said. "Maybe this is their reality check."
