Job market mayhem: Whether you're 22 or 52, job searching in 2025 is a total nightmare

Economic Times

18-07-2025

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Looking for a job in 2025? You are not alone if it feels more difficult than ever. From recent college graduates to baby boomers postponing retirement, the struggle to find or keep a job affects every generation. The market is tight, competition is fierce, and no one appears immune.The job market in the United States in 2025 will affect people of all ages. Gen Z is losing entry-level jobs, millennials and Gen X are in a thinning middle, and boomers are postponing retirement. Each age group is dealing with this bleak employment landscape, as per a report by Business Insider.For those just starting out, the post-college dream is fading fast. Take 21-year-old Bella Babbitt, for example. A 2024 graduate who earned her degree in just three years, she applied to hundreds of jobs and spent months waiting tables before finally landing a media role, through a family connection, not job boards. 'My parents can't understand how we're applying everywhere and hearing nothing,' she said.The Federal Reserve confirmed what many in Gen Z already knew: the job market for 22-to-27-year-olds with degrees 'deteriorated noticeably' in early 2025. And with government funding cuts, corporate hiring freezes, and the looming shadow of AI, traditional white-collar routes are shrinking fast, as per a report by Business Insider.Solomon Jones, 26, has a degree in sports communications, $25,000 in student loans, and no job prospects. He's moved back in with his parents and is freelancing to scrape by. 'I'm just trying to find a job, period,' he said bluntly.Even those considering grad school or law school are facing new problems, oversaturation, high tuition, and limited payoff. Meanwhile, some Gen Z workers are pivoting to blue-collar fields just to stay afloat, feeling that college no longer guarantees a stable future.For millennials and Gen Xers, the danger lies in the 'Great Flattening.' That's the name some experts are giving to the corporate trend of gutting middle management to reduce costs. It's left experienced professionals stuck in limbo, too senior for junior roles, not quite executive enough for top-tier ones.Olivia Cole, 39, was laid off from her product support job in late 2024. Despite keeping her resume sharp and her LinkedIn active, she's still searching. 'It seems like companies either want very senior experience or brand-new grads,' she said. 'There's no space for the middle anymore.'A payroll firm called Gusto found that manager-level firings, especially for people between 35 and 44, have skyrocketed more than 400% since 2022. And job postings for managers are dwindling too. That's forced many mid-career professionals to downgrade their ambitions, with some even applying to entry-level roles just to stay employed.One such millennial, Giovanna Ventola, 35, has faced three layoffs in three years. In response, she created Rhize, a job search support group. 'Most members are over 35,' she said, adding that many once earned six figures as directors or VPs but are now just hoping for any paycheck, as per a report by Business Insider.Retirement, once a milestone to celebrate, now feels out of reach for many older Americans. A 2024 AARP report revealed that 20% of Americans over 50 have no retirement savings at all. That's left them working long past the age they planned to step away.Hilary Nordland, 53, has been laid off twice in two years and says she's barely keeping up with her bills. 'I should be 12 years away from retiring, but that's not going to happen,' she said. 'I have no retirement savings.'Herb Osborne, 71, juggles two jobs in California, working full time for a charcuterie company and part time as a hotel auditor. 'Financially, it's imperative that I work,' he said. 'Social Security doesn't cover anything.'A 2024 Harris Poll found that 78% of boomers feel their age hurts their job prospects, and more than half believe it limits their career options. And yet, many keep working. LinkedIn reported that 13% of baby boomers who once listed themselves as retired have since reversed course.With decades of experience and a passion for teaching, Bonnie Cote, a substitute teacher in the Washington, DC, area, says it's difficult to find a job that pays enough to supplement her Social Security, particularly in her seventies.The job market in 2025 is tough, no matter how old you are or how much experience you have. Gen Z is dealing with broken promises of stability after college, millennials and Gen Xers are stuck in a middle layer of management that is disappearing, and boomers are working longer than they ever planned. The economy is uncertain, hiring is down, and there is a general feeling of being stuck.Companies are cutting costs, laying off employees, and freezing hiring, making it difficult for people of all ages to find stable jobs.Everyone is affected, but Gen Z has fewer entry-level jobs, millennials and Gen X are being laid off, and boomers are postponing retirement due to financial difficulties.