Resources
How Gen-Z Can Get Creative in a Difficult Job Market
A recent survey found that more than half, or 58 percent, of respondents who graduated within the last year, or “fresh grads,” are still looking for their first positions. This is more than double the rate cited by the study’s “earlier grads,” workers with at least one year of experience. Only 12 percent of fresh grads have full-time positions, a significant decrease from the 39 percent of earlier grads who found roles within one year of getting their degrees.
- Source: Inc.,
- August 2025
Why Firing GenZ is a “huge mistake”
Since Gen Zers now outnumber baby boomers in the workplace and are expected to comprise 30 percent of U.S. workers by 2030, employers will need to adapt to them, not the other way around, according to Joy Taylor, the managing director at consulting firm Alliant
- Source: Newsweek,
- September 2024
Middle-Skills Credential Supply Greatly Misaligned with Projected Job Demand in Most US Labor Markets
In half of local labor markets nationwide, at least 50% of these credentials would need to be granted in
different fields of study to fully align middle-skills credential production and projected labor demand.
- Source: Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW),
- May 2024
Half of College Grads Are Working Jobs That Don’t Use Their Degrees
Roughly half of college graduates end up in jobs where their degrees aren’t needed, and that underemployment has lasting implications for workers’ earnings and career paths.
- Source: The Wall Street Journal,
- February 2024
How to Address the Skills Gap
The United States is facing a growing skills gap that threatens the nation’s long-term economic prosperity. The workforce simply does not have enough workers and skilled candidates to fill an ever-increasing number of high-skill jobs. Because a high-quality workforce is the most important determinant of business success, challenges related to hiring the best people have a direct influence on an organization’s competitiveness today and in the future.
- Source: SHRM,
- January 2023
Additional Recommendations from McKinsey
Prepare for the future war for talent:
Source: McKinsey Global Institute, February 2023
- Rethink hiring to reduce focus on credentials and instead value experience.
- Invest in on-the-job training and rotation programs that build your talent bench.
- Expand policies on childcare, elder care, and parental leave to retain top talent.
- Partner with public- and social-sector organizations to reskill workers at scale.
- Commit to your digital transformation with bold goals and shared accountability.
- Complement technology investments with R&D, brands, and other intangibles to reimagine core business operations.
- Retool your organization to build the capacity and flexibility for reinvention.
- Invest in technology-ready talent at all levels to lead and deliver the change.
Source: McKinsey Global Institute, February 2023