Gen Z are sharing their 'unemployed' struggles in viral job hunt TikTok trend

When it comes to finding a job, unemployed Gen Z have been candidly sharing their struggles on TikTok as they face increased competition and also contend with the rise of artificial intelligence.

The data

In the UK, one in eight young people are not in work or education, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics, and in the EU, the unemployment rate among young people aged 15-24 is increasing (14.9 per cent, up 0.4 per cent from 2023) despite the overall unemployment rate decreasing.

Meanwhile, it is a similar story across the pond, with an increase in unemployment among college graduates, which is currently at 6.6 per cent, higher than the national average, which sits at 4.2 per cent, as per the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the Wall Street Journal.

First-hand experience

Although the data paints a clear picture, young people are posting videos documenting the difficult reality of finding employment in 2025.

"The appeal of unemployment has officially worn off, BORED is an understatement," UK TikToker @_.shanti.f_ wrote. "I need money to fund my lifestyle ASAP, I'm smiling, but if another relative asks me how applications are going, I'm going to cry."

In the comments section, viewers shared similar stories of how their job search is going.

"Six months in and I actually cried while talking to a family member this past weekend," one person said.

A second posted, "Is everyone resorting to part-time non-serious jobs like retail, or is it just me?"

"Now imagine being out of work for over a year like me," a third person commented."

At the end of last year, TikToker and recent graduate Malini (@malini.smmalini.sm) shared a breakdown of how she had spent six months (four of which she was unemployed) searching for a job after completing her degree in Politics and Sociology at Cambridge University.

She also noted how she speaks three languages - English, French and Spanish - but says this hasn't helped her in the job market.

All in all, Malini applied for 97 jobs in total and got to the interview stage with 10.3 per cent of those, with one job offer altogether.

LA-based TikToker Yas (@yasamelon) responded to the remark "you look sadder" by recalling all the job applications and interviews she's done and still hasn't received a job offer.

"Thanks yeah I've been laid off since September, applied to 700+ jobs, 30+ interviews, no offers, and rent is due again," she wrote, and her video now has over 727,000 views.

The AI of it all

With the rise of artificial intelligence, we're already seeing the potential ramifications this could have on the job market, with it carrying out entry-level tasks that a graduate previously would've been doing.

In fact, AI could replace more than 50 per cent of the tasks performed by market research analysts (53 per cent ) and sales representatives (67 per cent ), compared to just per cent and 21 per cent for their managerial counterparts, according to Bloomberg.

The World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2025 found that 40 per cent of employers expect to reduce their workforce where AI can automate tasks.

Additionally, 49 per cent of Gen Z'ers in the job market believe AI has reduced the value of their college education.

"I think AI has the potential to either augment or maybe totally replace jobs that are physically or cognitively repetitive. These jobs are not only done by entry people, there are certain people who do repetitive things for all of their life - those jobs are in jeopardy," Dr. Nariman Farvardin, president of Stevens Institute of Technology, told CBS.

Elsewhere, ChatGPT causes woman to get rejected from a job, and Corporate ‘love bombing’ is now a thing – how to spot and combat it.

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