Grinnell’s employment rate among new bachelor’s degree recipients is not expected to have significantly changed in 2025 amid concerns posed by federal funding cuts and the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the job market. For the class of 2024, 58 percent of Grinnellians became employed upon acquiring their bachelor’s degree. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 69.6 percent of graduating college students nationwide were employed in 2024.
Dean of Careers and Life Service (CLS) Mark Peltz told The S&B via email that postgraduate employment rates have been fluctuating between 55 to 60 percent in the past years. Peltz wrote that he does not expect postgraduate employment rates for 2025 to experience sudden changes. The data for the postgraduate outcomes of the class of 2025 will be available in March 2026.
However, Peltz wrote that federal funding cuts and the development of AI continue to impact the job market.
“There has been a lot of uncertainty in the job market over the past couple of months,” Peltz wrote.
Peltz wrote that these factors have led to more conservative approaches to hiring, particularly in the government and non-profit sectors that rely on public financing, as well as the information technology and marketing sectors, where some roles are already affected by automation.
Associate Professor in Economics Xiang Chi expressed similar views about job market changes in an interview with The S&B.
“We see the big tech companies are laying off thousands of employees, and in the public sector, the Trump administration has cost thousands of jobs in the federal government system,” said Chi. “We’re in the longest federal government shutdown in history too.”
Chi said that the government shutdown will be a hurdle for the class of 2026 in finding jobs in the government sector and he further emphasized that the imposition of the $100,000 dollar fee on issuing new H-1B visas is to be a detriment for international student employment.
In the long run, Chi expects a shift in the job market as a result of AI, comparable to the 1980s when factory jobs became more scarce and workers paid less at the same time due to offshoring. He sees the same process starting to happen with certain positions in computer science and data analytics. To secure jobs in these sectors Chi said students should focus on new AI technology and machine learning.
All of these affected sectors are among the most popular choices for Grinnellians upon graduation.
“We have seen a steady increase in the number of graduates going into careers in the tech industry, which closely tracks the increase in computer science majors over the last 10 years or so,” Assistant Dean & Director of Analytics & Operation at CLS Sarah Barks wrote to The S&B via email.
In the class of 2024, Computing and Technology ranked first among career paths, with 13 percent of graduates entering the sector. Social Services ranked fourth at 10 percent, Government and Policy ranked fifth with eight percent and Sales and Marketing tied with Data Science and Analytics at ninth place with five percent.
Peltz wrote that federal funding cuts have reduced spending on scientific research in public research institutions, and as a result, summer research opportunities have become more scarce and support for graduate study in many science disciplines has diminished. Of Grinnell graduates, 28 percent pursue postgraduate degrees, which is higher than the national average for 2024 estimated by the BLS, which is 25.2 percent.
To remain competitive in the current job market, Peltz wrote, “Grinnellians should spend more time finalizing their career plans and broaden the scope of the opportunities they consider … To many, the job search feels like an invisible 4-credit course that doesn’t hold a defined place in their weekly schedule.”
Peltz also said Grinnellians usually stand out in the job market because the liberal arts setting makes practical experience common.
Peltz said that about 85 percent of Grinnell graduates complete research, internships, civic engagement, or on-campus and part time work.
“These opportunities tend to be more accessible at liberal arts colleges and serve as a differentiator for many of our students,” said Peltz.
The percentage of bachelor’s degree recipients that are neither employed nor enrolled in further education, according to the 2024 BLS data, is 16.83 percent nationally. Barks said that this statistic is much lower for the Grinnell graduates from the class of 2024 at around five percent reported seven months post graduation.
Chi said that the high quality of Grinnell education and its reputation as a selective institution will keep attracting employers, but he strongly advises that students plan ahead for their career.
“Grinnell is among the most selective liberal colleges in the country and I think we are in a very strong position for our graduates,” Chi said.
