by: Kloe Adams

Games Editor

Since the early 2010s, tech leaders have publicly warned that the U.S. economy and global technology leadership are at risk due to a weak showing of computer science programs in high schools and a dearth of students studying computer programming. Silicon Valley promised kids that if they work hard and learn to code, computer science would be their ticket to a high-paying and high-status tech job. Furthering this narrative, tech company leaders such as Eric Schmidt at Google and Brad Smith at Microsoft said their companies were creating tech jobs faster than they could find skilled workers to fill them. And, while at the time, these promises for a successful future in tech seemed achievable, computer science graduates are struggling to land tech jobs in the current climate. United States-based tech companies must address the influx of eligible graduates by offering entry and junior-level positions straight out of university. 

Among recent college graduates, aged 22-27, computer science and computer engineering majors are facing some of the highest unemployment rates. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported that unemployment ranged from 6.1%-7.5% across the United States in 2024. For perspective, that is more than twice the unemployment rate among recent biology graduates, which is just 3%. Moreover, in 2024, the number of undergraduates in the United States majoring in computer science exceeded 170,000 students. This number is triple the number of computer science students since 2012. 

It is clear that the marketing urging students to pursue computer science and programming is extremely efficient; however, tech companies are unable to offer enough jobs to address the supply of eligible applicants. Code is no longer the backbone of tech jobs as AI tools can generate their own code, meaning that kids who have spent their whole high school and college careers mastering computer programming are not needed. This is especially true in entry-level and junior-level positions, which remain a crucial stepping stone for new graduates to be considered for higher-level positions. Venture capital firm SignalFire found there was a 50% decline in new roles people started with less than one year of post-graduate work experience. There is a demanding pressure for post-grads to acquire advanced skills they did not learn in school to gain new “entry-level” jobs that require an advanced skill set.

There are still opportunities for new grads to climb the career ladder; however, it is much harder to even get onto the first rung. Therefore, it is the responsibility of tech companies to address the influx of graduates, the difficulties of getting a job out of school, and help them begin their climb to advanced positions, which AI has not overtaken by creating new jobs. 

(Sources: CNBC, NY Times)