Millions of Gen Zers are jobless—and unemployment is mainly affecting men

Article here. Excerpt:

'Gen Z is stepping out of college and into a fierce labor market, up against slower payroll gains, “ghost” jobs, absent hiring managers, and dwindling entry-level job openings thanks to AI. It’s caused millions of these young workers to be frozen out of new opportunities, and men are largely the ones being impacted.

Although Gen Z men and women face the same labor market hurdles after college graduation, young male professionals have continued to be unemployed at higher rates. For years they’ve struggled to keep up with their female peers who have skyrocketed past them in education and work. In the first quarter of this year, 9.1% of men ages 20 to 24 were jobless, compared to just 6.6% of women in that age group, according to a FRED analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. And the trend continues, with 9.1% of Gen Z men being jobless in the second quarter of 2025, compared with only 7.2% of women. Young female professionals have continued to have an edge on their male counterparts, being employed at rates 0.6% to 2.5% higher over the past five years.'