University of Missouri graduates share worries as national unemployment rate hits four-year high and hiring trends slow
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The national unemployment rate is at its highest point in nearly four years and hiring trends are slowing as thousands of college graduates prepare to enter the workforce.
The University of Missouri will celebrate more than 1,800 graduates over the weekend, awarding 1,339 bachelor's degrees, 380 master's degrees and 99 doctoral degrees, according to a university press release.
Reports show more than 100,000 jobs were lost in October, many of those losses are connected to the longest federal shutdown in U.S. history that was happening around that same time. While the country added 64,000 jobs last month, experts said the overall labor market is losing momentum.
Several students who graduated Saturday from the University of Missouri’s College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources told ABC 17 News they don’t have jobs lined up yet and are still figuring out their next steps.
Anna Fairchild said she hasn’t secured a position yet but plans to apply for exercise physiologist jobs in cardiac rehab at hospitals. A few years down the line, she hopes to return to school for her Master’s in Public Health. Fairchild plans to take about a year and a half break before pursuing that path.
“I want to take a gap year to figure it out, make sure that’s really what I want to do, and then find the right school and make sure I’m on the right path,” Fairchild said.
She described the current job market as “scary,” a sentiment shared by fellow graduate Rhiannon Brune.
“I definitely think it’s very tough,” Brune said. “Having a master’s degree necessarily isn’t enough anymore to get an entry-level position.”
Around 162,000 government employees left their positions at the end of the fiscal year on September 30th, contributing to the decline.
Since March, monthly job growth has averaged just 35,000 jobs. However, that's half the pace that was reported earlier this year, when monthly gains averaged 71,000 per month.
Economists point to ongoing uncertainty with President Donald Trump’s tariffs, along with the lingering effects of high interest rates imposed by the Federal Reserve in 2022 and 2023. These factors are believed to be making employers more hesitant to hire.
As the job market cools, new graduates are adjusting their plans.
“I have an insurance job lined up, but I’m focusing on opening up my own personal training business,” said Rhiannon Brune, a graduate.
Another graduate, Norah Piurc, said she has secured work in the Midwest.
“I’ll be working as a research and development scientist at Good Foods Group in Wisconsin,” Piurc said.
Other graduates, including Katherine Reiter and Alayna Burke, plan to continue their education. Reiter will begin her doctorate at Logan University in January. Burke said she will attend physical therapy school at Washington State University.
“I really liked my exercise physiology courses and kinesiology, and that kind of sparked my interest to work with patients and work with human movement,” Burke said.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell could weaken further in the coming months if hiring trends don't pick up pace.
Check back for updates.
