The NYFR says it doesn’t know what is causing the decline, but many wonder if it’s AI. In particular as AI is so good at doing the entry-level tasks college grads would be employed to do.
Humans are terrible about dealing with disaster, until the very last minute (Covid in March 2020 was a good illustration of this). However, they are often surprisingly good at ‘keeping calm, and carrying on’ when they are forced to act. March 2020 also illustrates this.
So far AI/robotics and job replacement is a topic our political class (and their inept economic advisors) have ignored - but for how much longer?
Even before AI, some employers would use a program to scan resumes for certain keywords.
There are also companies who already know who they want to hire, but post a listing anyway as a formality.
A combination of being young with a degree, working experience (possibly through an internship), and connections sounds optimal for job seekers, but I think job searching is now a tedious and soul-sucking process for the majority of people.