A Princeton Ph.D. Graduate's Two-Year Search for Work Highlights Labor Market Stagnation
Dr. Jack Weiss, a Princeton chemical engineering Ph.D. graduate, has applied for over 2,300 jobs since 2024. His prolonged unemployment highlights labor market stagnation and the growing hurdles posed by AI screening.
Jack Weiss likes to joke that he is just another unemployed man living in his parents' basement, but the joke leaves out crucial details. A native of Salt Lake City, Weiss has applied for more than 2,300 jobs since earning his Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Princeton University in 2024, yet he remains unemployed.
Initially seeking scientific roles in commercial firms and prestigious postdoctoral positions at national laboratories, Weiss eventually expanded his search to software engineering and other fields. Over time, even employers in food preparation stopped responding to his applications, including a company selling frozen crab cakes. For a period, he secured temporary work training artificial intelligence models in fluid mechanics and engineering, but that source of income also dried up.
The Impact of Artificial Intelligence
Weiss's prolonged job hunt reflects a broader stagnation in the U.S. labor market, often described by economists as a dynamic of few hirings and few layoffs. While headline unemployment remains low, the share of job seekers unemployed for 27 weeks or longer reached a decade-long high last summer, excluding the pandemic era. The rise of artificial intelligence has further complicated the landscape for degree-holding graduates, as automated screening tools and hundreds of AI-generated submissions overwhelm recruiters.
After facing rejection after rejection and enduring tedious one-way video interviews, Weiss turned to direct networking, contacting Princeton and Rice alumni. Despite polite phone calls, he was invariably redirected to corporate job portals, where his applications routinely vanished into digital black holes. Temporary work for a major tech startup training AI models offered a brief financial lifeline before projects abruptly wound down.
Looking Forward
Despite the frustrations, Weiss continues exploring new paths, including studying for the LSAT, engaging in local politics in Utah, and even designing an AI-driven drone to eradicate invasive plants. Two years after completing his doctorate, his application status for a national lab position finally changed from under review to filled, underscoring the grueling reality facing top-tier graduates in today's economy.
