AI, Work From Home, and the Young-Graduate Job Market

The employment-population ratio for US workers aged 22–26 with a bachelor's degree fell to 88% in September 2026, a full point below three years earlier, with unemployment near 6% versus about 4% pre-pandemic. The analysis argues that blaming AI alone is complicated: youth employment is also down for non-college graduates less exposed to AI, and WFH adoption may disproportionately weaken young workers' job prospects.