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Young Americans have a gloomier outlook on their job prospects than their older colleagues, creating a wider optimism gap than any other country surveyed by Gallup.

The big picture: The very existence of that chasm between pessimistic younger Americans and more positive older people is itself an outlier, with double-digit gaps present only in five other places of the 141 polled.

Elsewhere, younger people are more positive, or the generations' sentiments are more aligned.

When President Trump and China's leader Xi Jinping met last month to discuss the world's two largest economies, they already had one thing in common: Their young people are far more discouraged than their parents.

By the numbers: Only 43% of those aged 15 to 34 in the U.S. thought it was a good time to find a job locally in 2025 compared to 64% of those 55 and older — a 21-point gap.

There is a 12-point gap between China's older and younger generations, and similar divides in Serbia, the UAE, Hong Kong and Norway.
The global median is a 10-point divide, except it's the older adults who are more pessimistic.

Reality check: Younger Americans rated their job prospects lower earlier in the 2000s, but they were still more positive than older people.

They were also more positive than a significant share of their peers globally in 2025, ranking 87th out of the 141 countries surveyed.
In South Korea last year, just 28% of the youth said it was a good time to find a job — but that was on par with the 25% of those 55 and up who agreed.

Bachaud said the widening gap between openings and hires points to ongoing skills mismatches, particularly as employers seek workers with expertise in emerging technologies. “Rather than simply eliminating jobs, the rapid adoption of AI tools is creating new categories of specialized roles that require specific technical skills that the current workforce doesn’t yet have in abundance,” she said.

Job Openings Surge, But Hiring Disconnect Raises Questions Job openings surged to a nearly two-year high in April, but hiring slowed as employers remain cautious amid AI-driven skill gaps and economic uncertainty.

Recent uptick in prospect inquiries. About 2/3 have signed on with getstart-ed.
Library business is steady, as usual.
My LinkedIn search results total remains high.

As usual, I'm taking this week off. No appointments.

Happy Memorial Day (weekend) to all.
I hope everyone remembers to even for a few seconds to remember why this holiday exists.

Then I hope they will remember why those people died---that is, the ideals and values they died to defend.

A few weeks ago I updated my LinkedIn page to align with LinkedIn's new AI.

Two weeks ago: 167 search appearances.
Last week: 165 search appearances.
These recent results are about double my previous typical numbers.

And I'm not even looking for a job!

If you are unemployed or simply want to update your LinkedIn profile, I can help:

getstart-ed.com | Job Search Help & Coaching | Natick, MA I combine traditional job search tools and modern coaching techniques to help people land their next job--or transition to a new career. getstart-ed.com

Gartner predicts that by 2028, 25% of all online job candidates will be deepfakes.

How To Beat AI Deepfakes With A Powerfully Human Resume Between AI, deepfakes and social media checks, candidates have a lot to contend with in 2026. Here’s how your resume can showcase the real you.

I’m a judge for the CPRW. Applicants must submit a resume and a cover letter. Way too many letters begin with “I am excited to apply.”

C’mon—No one is excited to apply.

This article presents a better way.

How To Write a Cover Letter That Rises Above the AI Slop In a hiring landscape increasingly crowded with polished but indistinguishable AI-generated prose, the candidates who stand out wil

This is so true. I experienced this during my hi-tech career.
If a job-seeker understands this, it will help them so much.

I have mentioned Geoffrey Owens in a couple of my presentations, including my talk on ABC Career Planning.

Plan A for Owens (according to an interview) was a recurring role on a major network TV show.

Plan B was teaching drama (I think) at Yale and living on residuals from the Cosby Show reruns.

After Bill Cosby had some major legal problems, networks stopped broadcasting the Cosby Show. The residuals dried up. When the pandemic hit, he took a job at a local Trader Joes.
It was steady, easy work, and the management understood when he had to leave for an audition.

Job seekers should emulate Mr. owens, Mr. Owens is a persistent and resilient job seeker (and actor) who embodies the principles of ABC Career Planning.

'Cosby Show' actor who was photographed working at Trader Joe's joins hit show 'The Pitt' — Entertainment Weekly The actor is set to play a cardio-thoracic surgeon in episode 13 of season 2.