College seniors will don graduation gowns this month before jumping into a job market that isn’t quite as hungry for their diplomas as it is for skills learned outside of four-year schools. Employers added 175,000 jobs in April, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday, below analysts’ expectations and a sign that hiring is slowing down across the economy.
More than 40% of college seniors said they planned to pursue freelance or gig work after walking across the stage, a recent survey by the job marketplace Handshake found. Almost a third expected to do so on top of a full-time role. While that isn’t exactly a new trend among fresh grads, who often cobble together multiple income streams in their first year or two out of school, it could signal that they’re bracing for a tough long-term job search.