College students in the US know they’re soon entering a labor market that looks dramatically different from their parents’ generation, and even from a few years ago. Unemployment among young people is up. Meanwhile, companies are shedding jobs, citing AI as the reason. New polling shows nearly half are second-guessing their career plans.
Hard Numbers
Hard number: AI has college students second-guessing

The share of college students in the United States who said they’ve considered changing their majors because of AI.
Natalie Johnson
By Natalie JohnsonApril 02, 2026
Natalie Johnson
Natalie Johnson is the Deputy Head of Content at GZERO Media and edits the GZERO Daily newsletter. Her career has spanned producing for broadcast cable news at outlets like MSNBC, VICE TV, and NewsNation, as well as writing for digital media. She's also the creator and co-editor of an anthology called "Black Love Letters," published in 2023 through John Legend's GetLifted book imprint. Natalie studied political science at Scripps College and holds a master's degree in sociology from Columbia University.

















