Fading Programming Dreams: Unemployment Crisis Strangles Computer Science Graduates

The promises of a booming programming career have officially collapsed. New computer science graduates face unemployment rates ranging from 6.1% to 7.5%, more than double the unemployment rate for biology and art history graduates, according to a recent study by the New York Federal Reserve. A powerful article in the New York Times also highlights what's happening on the ground.

Shocking Testimonies from the Field

Individual stories seem surreal. For instance, Manasi Mishra, 21, graduated from Purdue University after being promised six-figure starting salaries, but only got one job interview at a Chipotle (and didn't get the job).

Meanwhile, Zach Taylor applied for nearly 6,000 tech jobs since graduating from Oregon State University in 2023, received only 13 interviews, and zero job offers. Even McDonald's rejected him for "lack of experience."

Causes of the Crisis: From AI to Corporate Layoffs

Among the alleged causes behind this situation, the role of AI software in eliminating entry-level jobs stands out, alongside job cuts by giant companies like Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft. AI has become capable of automating repetitive tasks and assisting in writing code and debugging, reducing the need for entry-level developers.

Students say they are trapped in an "AI doom loop"; they use AI to apply for a large number of jobs, while companies use AI to automatically reject them, sometimes in a matter of minutes. Fortunately, Mishra landed a job after a spontaneous application, but it's not in software engineering.