Overview
- The Gallup World Poll reports 43% of Americans ages 15–34 call it a good time to find a local job, versus 64% of those 55 and older, the widest age gap recorded in any of the 141 countries surveyed.
- Youth optimism fell 27 points from 2023 to 2025, returning toward Great Recession-era lows, while older Americans’ views barely moved.
- Globally, younger people are typically more upbeat than older adults about finding work, but U.S. youth now rank 87th out of 141 countries on job expectations.
- Gallup analysts and youth advocates point to artificial intelligence cutting entry-level roles and to hiring that rewards connections over qualifications.
- The U.S. findings come from about 1,000 telephone interviews conducted June 14–July 16, 2025, with a ±4.4 point margin of error, and the most discouraged subgroups include first‑job seekers, recent college graduates, and young women.