Members of Gen Z looking to make their way into entry level jobs have met a brick wall including those with college degrees. In an article published by Axios regarding the economic crisis facing the youth of America, data from the bureau of labor statistics shows the unemployment rates amongst workers ages 16-24 have risen and reached over 10% in September of 2025, the worst it's been since 2016 when excluding the covid 19 pandemic (Brown C, 2025, Sept. 10).

The Trump administration sent nine universities letters on October 1, offering to join a compact that would offer funding in exchange for a list of changes in their schools. Seven out of nine universities have rejected the funding offered by the White House, including the University of Virginia (UVA), Dartmouth College, Brown, the University of Pennsylvania, University of Southern California (USC), the University of Arizona, and M.I.T.