Discussing Graduate Unemployment: Insights from BBC OS Conversations
Job market struggles and global youth unemployment are the prominent issues of our time, worsened by the pandemic and the cost of living crisis which have impacted economies worldwide. In China, many young people grapple with unemployment and in India, it affects 42% of graduates under 25. James Reynolds, the host, converses with graduates from India, the United States, Nigeria, South Africa and Ghana who are either unable to find work or have had to shift careers despite their field of study. Unemployment often forces individuals to reorient their paths, as recounted by these graduates who transitioned from studying English to waitressing, and economics to fashion. Rejections are recurrent, with many companies failing to respond to job applications. Priyanka, a 23-year-old Indian graduate living in the UK, shares her experience of facing rejections despite having her degree and Masters. Despite applying for 800 positions, she has only had five interviews, indicating the fierce competition in the job market for entry-level candidates.