Young New Yorkers are facing a tough job market — and a college degree may not make a difference

Workers walking in New York City. Spencer Platt/Getty Images Unemployment rates for NYC graduates and non-graduates are converging. 22- to 27-year-old New Yorkers face similar unemployment rates whether or not they have a degree. Fewer Americans see college as vital, partly due to rising costs, per a recent Gallup poll. It's been a cornerstone of the job market for decades: Higher education is the surest path to steady employment. But in the Big Apple, there are signs that may no longer be the case. The unemployment gap between young New Yorkers with college degrees and their peers without degrees has dramatically narrowed; for a few months this year, the latter actually had slightly lower unemployment than the former — a potential sign that entry-level white-collar roles are succumbing to AI creep.