In the job market, Gen Z is cooked
Post Reports
The Washington Post
4.4 • 5.1K Ratings
🗓️ 13 August 2025
⏱️ 24 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Gen Z is having a rough go at finding a job. AI tools are making it easier for companies to downsize. In an effort to cut costs, many workplaces are laying off people en masse. And all of that talent is flooding a job market where entry-level positions often require multiple years of experience. That’s leaving Gen Z workers at the bottom of the hiring pool.
Audio intern Tadeo Ruiz Sandoval interviews business reporter Taylor Telford about what the job landscape looks like for his generation. What does it take to stand out in a crowded labor market? And will Gen Z be able to find work?
Today’s episode was produced by Tadeo Ruiz Sandoval. It was edited by Reena Flores and mixed by Sean Carter.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Quick disclaimer for this episode. As you may notice, I'm not one of the usual hosts of Post reports. |
| 0:09.0 | I'm not Kobayikowitz or Elias Adi. I'm Tadeo Ruizun de Val, the audio intern. Now, I'm just one of 26 interns here at the post, and there's about two days left of the internship program for most of us, |
| 0:22.9 | which means there's one question on the top of our minds. Where will we find a job? |
| 0:31.3 | Hi, I'm Jenny Crossland. |
| 0:33.5 | Hi, I'm Ethan Beck. I'm the Features intern for the Washington Post. |
| 0:37.0 | And I am the Opinions Copydesk intern for the summer 2025. |
| 0:41.9 | It's tough going through all these job postings, seeing five plus years of experience required. |
| 0:48.3 | So we are all part of Gen Z, and that means that we were born between 1997 and 2012. |
| 0:54.2 | And right now is an incredibly difficult time for Gen C to land a job. |
| 0:59.2 | In July, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the unemployment rate for 20 to 24 |
| 1:04.6 | year olds like me is now 7.9%. |
| 1:08.2 | And that is a pretty big number. |
| 1:14.6 | It's almost double the overall U.S. unemployment rate. I think looking on LinkedIn can be very defeating, you know, in many ways. |
| 1:21.6 | It can be experience where you're like, I'm sort of suited for this job, I'm sort of suited for that job. |
| 1:28.4 | Hmm, what do I do? Oh, and 500 people have applied for that job. I'm sort of suited for. |
| 1:37.1 | From the newsroom of the Washington Post, this is Post reports. And as I mentioned, I'm |
| 1:43.5 | Todayo. It's Wednesday, August 13th. And as I mentioned, I'm Todayo. |
| 1:46.6 | It's Wednesday, August 13th. |
| 1:52.4 | Today, I talk with business reporter Taylor Telforth about Gen Z and the workforce. |
| 1:54.6 | What's the job landscape we're entering? |
| 1:56.6 | Why is it so competitive? |
| 2:00.2 | And will we ever be able to find a job? |
... |
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