An uncertain economy. Global instability. Anxious employers reluctant to make new hires.
The Class of 2026 is facing the worst job market in years, forcing graduates to adjust their expectations and look for work outside their field of choice as companies cut back on entry-level hiring.
“Out of 200 applications, I had maybe two interviews,” said Mohamed Ali of Lewiston, who graduated May 9 from the University of Southern Maine.
Going into college dead-set on computer science, the 22-year-old pivoted to business analytics to broaden his options. He also completed three internships.
“I (thought) it was always just going to be the norm: go to school, go to college, graduate, get a job. The norm,” he said. “It’s not that easy. Nothing close to that.”
This year’s graduates are facing the highest unemployment and underemployment since the pandemic. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported in the first quarter of 2026 that unemployment for the demographic has reached 5.7%, up sharply from previous years and above the overall rate of 4.3%.
Many of those who have found jobs are in positions that don’t require a college degree.
Among all ages, workers with at least a bachelor’s degree have a below average unemployment rate. However, entry-level positions in professional careers are more scarce, and recent grads are feeling the pinch.
Those national trends have reached Maine. The state’s employment numbers remain stable, but hiring growth has flattened in many professions, making it more difficult for recent graduates to find jobs in their chosen fields.
“The opportunities are out there,” Bethany Walsh, director of career advising at Bowdoin College, said. “But landing them takes more strategic effort than it did in the past.”
‘Daunting’ landscape
Haden Buzzell heard warnings about the job market for years before graduating. With the “daunting” landscape in mind, the political science major completed fellowships and internships and made connections in the political organizing world.
The 22-year-old from rural West Newfield spent a year at Southern Maine Community College, then transferred to the University of Maine. Though he hasn’t nailed down a job yet, he said he’s in talks with a couple of political campaigns.
He considers himself luckier than most, as many of his peers are planning to go to graduate school to “delay the inevitable,” taking on more student debt in the process.
The problem, Buzzell said, is that employers are now seeking more experience when looking to fill entry-level positions.
“It’s not like it used to be, where a degree more or less guaranteed you a job,” he said. “You need to open your own doors, because in this super-competitive job market, the jobs aren’t going to come to you.”
Jillian Pastore, a Bates College graduate who majored in economics, said she has applied to about 75 full-time positions and 10 internships, yielding five interviews. Rejections come in the form of an automated email, she said, if she hears back at all.
Jobs, she said, are not advertised for graduates and most ask for at least two years of experience despite being entry-level positions.
“I have growing anxiety about the job market and the opportunities available within these fields,” Pastore said. “I do not doubt my ability to secure a salaried position, but I worry that I may ultimately feel pressured to settle for a role just to have a job.”
Tight competition
There’s a lot of noise in the entry-level job market, said Ashley Bigda, who oversees the office of career readiness and workforce development at the private University of New England.
Bigda recently authored a piece in Fortune magazine about reframing the idea of a career as a dynamic process, rather than a single, fixed destination. She works with students to recognize the ways their experiences in undergrad can be framed to employers.
The reality of the job market for seniors is also more nuanced than the headlines suggest, said Bowdoin’s Walsh. Data show hiring for new graduates is actually up, but competition has intensified, she said.
Rather than apply to as many jobs as possible, Walsh suggests making personal connections and tailoring their applications to specific employers.
That isn’t always the case for graduates, however.
Olivia O’Donnell, a recent University of Southern Maine graduate, started a full-time job two days after her graduation this month.
The 22-year-old from the Androscoggin County town of Poland studied media and communications, and landed an internship in Westbrook at the canned water company mainelove through the college’s career hub. The growing company created a full-time marketing position for her.
“I was truly ecstatic, because I wasn’t sure what I was going to do otherwise,” O’Donnell said. “I was nervous I was not going to get to use my degree.”
Recent University of Maine graduate Eddie Nachamie is now working in Zion National Park in Utah as a seasonal wildland firefighter.
The 22-year-old ecology and environmental sciences major studied PFAS policy and sustainable agriculture programming.
Many of the traditional job opportunities for environmental science students, like teaching and research, and especially those related to climate change or environmental justice, have disappeared due to federal cuts, Nachamie said.
But the Utah fire season is forecasted to be especially dangerous this year, and “wildfire seems to be one of the areas they seem to know they can’t touch.”
Standing out
One common thread among graduates was that they feel college prepared them for the workforce.
Pastore said her school has done an excellent job in developing her interpersonal skills, adaptability and ability to flourish in any field, and also provided resources for resume review, application counseling and networking.
Ali said he did not realize in the beginning how important it is to meet as many people as possible to discuss career interests and opportunities.
“In between my four years at USM, I had three internships, which were huge for me, super pivotal,” Ali said. “Talk to as many people as you can. Go to as many functions, as many career hubs — especially the USM Career Hub — as you can. You can never have enough connections.”
“When you seek support at your institution, they will provide it,” O’Donnell said. “I only landed this role because of the skill building that they provided me.”
And what should employers know about the graduates sending them resumes?
For Ali, employers need to come to terms with the irony of entry-level positions requiring candidates to already have working experience.
“You need experience to get the job, an entry-level job, but to get the experience, you need the job,” Ali said. “They need to try putting themselves in our shoes. … It’s not just applying for two jobs and finding one. It’s applying for a thousand and you might not even find one.”
Ali said employers need to employ more empathy towards up-and-coming college graduates. Pastore said curiosity needs to be valued more in the hiring process, that passion needs to be better recognized for the motivation to learn and grow.
“I believe this approach risks creating a workforce that is overly pre-programmed and lacking in diversity of thought and background,” Pastore said.
“I think it ultimately depends on what employers want. In a world increasingly shaped by AI, employees trained to perform only one narrow function can become pretty disposable.”
This story was originally published by the Maine Trust for Local News. Joe Charpentier can be reached at [email protected]. Riley Board can be reached at [email protected].
