SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Graduation season is here, and many students receiving diplomas — like Jessica Begay — are preparing for life after school.
She graduated from the University of Utah, but she’s been on the hunt for a new job even before graduating.
“Of course, I’m a little nervous, but I feel more-or-less hopeful, especially after seeing so many graduates and so many hopeful people,” she said.
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Optimism is what’s fueling Alperen Bocek, another U of U graduate looking for work.
“It’s hard for everyone, but it’s the world we live in now. Trying to stay optimistic as much as possible,” Bocek said.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has a program called Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. The survey revealed that job openings remained the same at 6.9 million in March of 2026, and hiring went up to 5.6 million.
Dr. Scott Shaefer, Chair of the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah, keeps a close eye on job market activity.
“The Labor Market for graduates has been weak in the last year or two,” he said.
Shaefer teaches quantitative analysis of markets and organizations.
He pointed out that there are reasons behind labor market results that may not always be obvious to the average reader.
“A lot of people are saying, ‘We know it’s AI,’ but economists who are looking hard at the data, we’re not sure because we’re not seeing unemployment among young people concentrated in areas where you might expect AI to be having the biggest effect,” he said.
In July of 2025, Forbes reported that data entry clerks, telemarketers, retail cashiers, warehouse and fast-food restaurant front-line workers could be replaced with AI.
There are, however, advantages to having AI around and its uses.
It’s been helpful in directing many people to better job matches and even polishing up resumes and cover letters.
“I think one thing that AI is doing to labor markets is, it’s making it easier for people to apply for jobs. You can tailor your resume to particular employers much easier now than you could five years ago,” Shaefer said.
Shaefer warned that artificial intelligence can become a double-edged sword in your job hunt, negatively impacting potential employers. They would be bombarded with resumes that practically look identical, making it difficult to find someone who truly stands out as a good candidate.
Those employers will likely turn to their own network of contacts to find candidates.
The saying “It’s about who you know versus what you know” holds weight and beats AI when it comes to connecting with people for the right jobs.
“A really important fact about AI is there are things it does well, but it doesn’t do everything well. And one thing it doesn’t do well is, it doesn’t talk to people well. In order to talk to people, it helps to be a person yourself,” Shaefer said.
Bottom line, even with all the tools AI provides, good old-fashioned networking will make all the difference, not just for new graduates, but any person looking for the right job.
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