College-Educated Oversupply Crisis Worsens

The widening mismatch between an oversupply of college-educated workers and a deepening shortage of talent for non-degree, hands-on jobs has grown even more pronounced.

Bloomberg reports that the latest delayed BLS data shows a sharp deterioration in white-collar jobs, especially those holding four-year degrees, now making up a record 25% of all unemployed – or about 1.9 million folks, the highest level since 1992.

The unemployment rate for bachelor’s degree holders climbed to 2.8% in September, while joblessness for other education groups remained relatively the same. Young degree-holders are getting squeezed the most: unemployment for ages 20 to 24 jumped to 9.2%, an increase rarely seen outside recessions. 

The jobs data builds on our note last week, citing Goldman analysts led by Evan Tylenda, who spoke with labor demographer Ron Hetrick.

Their discussion highlighted an alarming shift in the labor market: an oversupply of college graduates and a shortage of non-college-degree technical workers.

ZeroHedge Pro subscribers can read the full note in the usual spot. It offers key understandings of the shifting labor market ahead of the 2030s. 

Palantir CEO Alex Karp recently had an epic quote about this emerging labor market mess :

The average Ivy League grad voting for this mayor is annoyed their education is not that valuable, and that the person who knows how to drill for oil has a more valuable profession.

I think that annoys the f*ck out of these people. 

Palantir CEO Alex Karp on Zohran Mamdani and NYC:

“We’re about to probably have a complete disaster. I was born in New York.

“If you asked, ‘do these things actually work?’ Everyone’s like, ‘of course I’m not going to vote for that.’ Instead they ask, ‘does it work in theory?’ pic.twitter.com/yvA6nn5Aeu

— Jawwwn (@jawwwn_) November 4, 2025

The education industrial complex has spent more time transforming kids into Marxist activists than preparing them for future labor market shifts. Now, these purple-haired degree holders are entering a shrinking labor market, and companies view these kids as giant liabilities.

It’s time for young people to consider avoiding overpriced college. Perhaps time to learn an actual skill that makes you valuable, one that lets you remain productive before automation and AI sweep the labor market, such as building data centers or working on natural gas turbines.