Gen Z calls degrees ‘useless’—but 20 years of data tells a different story: graduates are still the least likely to be unemployed

Gen Z and millennials alike have been writing off their degree as worthless. And it’s not hard to see why: Entry-level corporate jobs have been slashed, promotions are “peanuts”, and the new wave of young millionaires are trade workers turned business owners and AI entrepreneurs. But actually, graduates are still the least likely to be unemployed right now. Fresh data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that among workers aged 25 and over, people with a bachelor’s degree have the lowest unemployment rate of any education group. In fact, despite a third of graduates slamming their degrees as a waste of money and not financially worth it, the numbers show a pretty blunt reality: The more educated you are, the more likely you are to be in work. Those without a high school diploma face the highest risk of being out of work, with jobless rates more than twice those of college grads, while everyone else falls somewhere in between. And this isn’t a blip. Back in 2019, before the pandemic (and ChatGPT) reshaped the job market for good, college grads also sat at the bottom of the unemployment chart—and the same was true even 20 years ago. In 2006, when the data starts, unemployment for people without a high school diploma sat at 6.9%, compared with 2.2% for college grads, and in early 2026, it’s still 6.4% versus roughly 2.8%. In other words, even as the economy and workplace have transformed, one thing has stayed stubbornly consistent: having a degree still puts you at the safest end of the unemployment chart. Degrees are losing their shine—but not their edge For all the backlash, a degree is still the safest way to get your foot in the door in your 20s. It won’t guarantee a six-figure salary or a fast track to the C‑suite, but the data shows it still makes it easier to land on your feet—and stay there. What has changed is how that advantage feels. On paper, graduates are still better protected against unemployment; in practice, many of them feel stuck in underpa