‘The Job Market for Young People Is Brutal’ artwork
Plain English with Derek Thompson

‘The Job Market for Young People Is Brutal’

Apr 10, 2026 · 1 hr 7 min

Something weird is going on with the elevated unemployment rate for young people today, but no one knows what exactly it is. For the last year, as the unemployment rate for recent college graduates has crept up ominously, one of the questions I’ve reported more deeply than any other is: Is AI replacing young workers’ jobs? To make a long story short: I initially thought yes, then some economists…