FROZEN OUT

Why College Grads Are Getting the Cold Shoulder From Employers

- JOSHUA RHETT MILLER

HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL- EXCEPT FOR many college graduates prepping to enter an unsteady job market rife with contradictions. Hailey Washington, a senior majoring in marketing at Drexel University in Philadelphia, isn't bullish about her job prospects despite stellar undergraduate performance and indispensable industry experience from an internship at a luxury fashion brand.

"I would like to be optimistic but, based on the current job market, I feel pessimistic," Washington, 21, told Newsweek. "Most of my friends and myself do not have jobs lined up after graduation and are not getting interviews. We're all currently seeking parttime positions to build our resumes and to make some money as we search for full-time positions."

Washington, whose job hunt began in Philadel phia and has expanded into New York City and beyond, realizes she must remain nimble to navigate a turbulent economy wracked by uncertainty due to widespread cuts at government agencies, President Donald Trump's flurry of tariffs and freezes in federal funding for higher education.

While unemployment remains relatively low and key sectors like health care and technology foresee looming labor shortages, the specter of increased economic volatility obscures the future for many new graduates like Washington.