As the University of Oregon class of 2025 prepares to graduate on June 16, graduating seniors shared their uncertainties and concerns regarding their entry into the current job market. 

Students are set to navigate a competitive application process just months after the Trump administration introduced a new student loan repayment plan, heightening financial pressure on recent graduates.

Keaton Miller, a professor of economics, described the current job market as “tightening.”

“(The job market) is not as strong as last year’s markets, but it is not as bad as the 2020 or 2021 markets,” Miller said. 

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported that the current unemployment rate for recent graduates sat at 5.8% as of March, higher than the 4.6% in 2024. 

Jillian Dries, a business administration major and soon-to-be grad, said she considered delaying her job search to avoid the challenging market.

“For a while, I was scared of going into the workforce. I was like, ‘I’m just gonna go to law school. I’m gonna go to graduate school right out of college,’” Dries said.

Dries’ experience mirrors the upward trend in graduate program applications, with about a 24% increase in law school applications for the 2025 cycle from 2023.

Even students who planned to find a job early on, like psychology student Bradley Buchbinder, have struggled to secure a position.

“I probably started looking around December to January,” Buchbinder said. “Currently, I’m still in the midst of applications, interviews, networking and reaching out to people.”

Buchbinder said he has heard back from some companies, but the responses have consisted of “a bunch of no’s.”

Dries said many companies have not responded to her applications.

“It’s so frustrating in the modern job search to not get a response or even a rejection,” Dries said.

For Abbi Biggs, a Spanish major, an internship in Costa Rica sparked her desire to work abroad. After returning to the U.S., a shifting political climate and tough job market pushed her to look beyond domestic opportunities.

“When the election happened, that was definitely a huge factor that solidified my choice to move out of the country eventually,” Biggs said. 

Biggs aims to apply to the Peace Corps by summer and leave by early next year. In the meantime, she is facing “fast turnover” while searching for an entry-level administrative or receptionist role.

“I’ve noticed things go quickly, I’ll find something and I’ll bookmark it. When I go back and check, they’ve taken it off the job board,” Biggs said.

Lucas Eliot, an anthropology student, has a year-long teaching job lined up in Spain after his summer stint as a Wildland firefighter. He said his feelings surrounding his future plans are mixed. 

“I am really excited about the prospect of leaving the states as we embark on a new presidential term,” he said.

He also pointed out that federal funding cuts to national parks and public lands, along with the implementation of tariffs, could influence both of his plans. 

“My two next steps are wildland firefighting and moving abroad as an American citizen, which could both be directly impacted by the decision-making spree that the current federal administration has been going on,” Eliot said. 

Eliot said that although his path is unpredictable, he feels secure in his choices. 

“Around the time when most people are job hunting during senior year, I just felt really unsure about what direction to take,” he said. “The idea of jumping into the job search, with all its rejection and uncertainty, just didn’t appeal to me.”

Eli Bernell, a planning, public policy and management major, found an opportunity at the University of Oregon. He started as an intern with the athletic department in January and solidified his role for the next year.

“At first, I thought, ‘there’s no way I’ll be able to stay on all of next year,’” Bernell said. “I feel super grateful that this worked out really well.” 

Miller said power within the job market currently lies with employers.

“Right now the job market is a little bit of a buyer’s market,” Miller said. “Employers have a little bit more power … and have felt free to be a little bit more selective.”

According to Bernell, the selectivity currently exhibited by companies is reflected in how they define entry-level positions.

“I’ve heard a lot of frustration where people say, ‘This is supposed to be an entry-level role, but it requires a year or two of experience,’” Bernell said. “That’s tough if you didn’t do an internship or part-time gig during college.”

According to Indeed, internship listings usually surge in early spring, but this year they’re down 11% compared to the same time last year. 

Miller said that firms are “nervous” about future economic conditions. This has contributed to the decrease in roles available and increased expectations for qualifications.

“It is hard (for companies) to commit to supporting someone’s salary for new employees when there’s a lot of uncertainty in the economy,” Miller said. 

According to Miller, tariffs and funding cuts to research have added pressure to the market. 

“In normal years, many students would pursue master’s or PhD programs, but those opportunities are shrinking,” Miller said. “That’s pushing more people into the private sector who might have otherwise delayed entering the job market.”

Miller said that growing pressure may also be affecting how well people match with jobs. 

“One of the concerns is a decrease in match quality. People taking jobs that aren’t a great fit just to meet financial obligations like student loans,” Miller said. “In the short term, that looks like ‘I didn’t get my dream job, but I have to take something.’”

The pressure on students worsened after May 5 when the Trump administration reinstated the “involuntary” repayment of federal student loans.

To ensure that students pay their debt, the government is able to withhold pay and tax refunds. 

Biggs said the current financial changes make her “nervous.”

“I don’t think I’m going to find something that’s, like, as lucrative as I had previously hoped,” said Biggs.

Despite these challenges, Miller said that graduates should view their first job as a step, not a destination.

“Your first job is not your last job,” Miller said. “Your career isn’t going to be this job forever — it’s where you start.”

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