Class of 2026 Job Market
Next Great Step was honored to be featured in the Wall Street Journal on April 20, 2026, in an article by Ray A. Smith and Te-Ping Chen on the Class of 2026 job market.
- Employment stats are positively trending
- Networking during college helps students land jobs
- AI is reshaping entry-level work
The article points to genuinely encouraging signals. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, employers expect to boost new-graduate hiring by 5.6% this spring for the Class of 2026 job market. Unemployment among 20-to 24-year-olds with bachelor’s degrees dropped to 5.3% in March, down from a decade high of 8.9% just last fall. A ZipRecruiter survey of 1,500 recent graduates found that those who landed a role within three months of graduation climbed to 77%, up from 63% the year before.
But Next Great Step founder Beth Hendler-Grunt offered an important perspective on what is actually happening in the class of 2026 job market:
“I have highly qualified students who have been actively networking, showing their value, following up and still having a hard time.”
A better market does not mean an easy market.
The article also highlights what is working for students landing jobs. One senior profiled in the piece landed a position with the Charlotte Hornets after cultivating relationships there since her sophomore year. She told the reporter that reaching out directly to hiring managers and HR contacts made the difference when other candidates were not taking that extra step.
The data supports that approach. Graduates who worked during school landed jobs at twice the rate of those who did not: 82% versus 41%. Real-world experience and the relationships that come with it are what separate students who are getting hired from students who are still waiting to hear back.
The piece also addresses AI’s growing role in reshaping entry-level work. More than half of employers surveyed said they had discussed replacing early-career tasks with AI. IBM is tripling entry-level hiring this year, but the nature of those roles has shifted significantly toward problem-solving, customer interaction, and adaptability.
The students of the class of 2026 job market who are positioned to thrive are not necessarily the ones with the best resumes. They are the ones who started building relationships before they needed them, who understand that 70 to 80% of jobs are filled through connections rather than online applications, and who show up ready to contribute rather than waiting to be discovered.
Next Great Step has worked with over 1,000 students and recent graduates to help them do exactly that.
Want to give your grad the support they need to compete in this market? Contact Next Great Step at 973-577-6161 or schedule a complimentary consultation today.
