Princeton Ph.D. Graduate Struggles to Find Work in Stagnant U.S. Job Market
Princeton Ph.D. graduate Jack Weiss has applied to over 2,300 jobs without success, highlighting the severe stagnation and AI-driven screening hurdles in the modern U.S. labor market.
The Ph.D. Job Market Crisis
Thirty-year-old Jack Weiss likes to joke that he is just another unemployed guy living in his parents' basement. But this bitter joke leaves out several critical details: Weiss, a Salt Lake City native, has applied to more than 2,300 jobs since completing his Ph.D. in chemical engineering at prestigious Princeton University in 2024. Despite graduating summa cum laude from Rice University and having his research on ice formation cited by the Nobel Committee when it awarded the 2024 Prize in Physics, he remains out of work.
Weiss's story, as reported by The Wall Street Journal, illustrates the deep stagnation currently paralyzing the American job market for academics. Initially, Weiss sought scientific positions in pharmaceutical corporations and prestigious postdoctoral fellowships at national laboratories. When he met with silence or brief rejections, he broadened his search geographically and industrially, moving into software engineering and other fields.
AI and the Hiring Slowdown
The current economic picture remains murky, with U.S. economists describing it as an environment of "few hirings and few firings." According to a Gallup poll, only 34% of Americans believe it is a good time to find a quality job. Although the unemployment rate remains low, the percentage of jobless individuals out of work for 27 weeks or longer reached a decade-long high last summer, excluding the pandemic era.
Furthermore, the entry of artificial intelligence is heightening concerns. A Pew Research Center survey found that over 70% of U.S. respondents believe the technology will lead to an overall reduction in jobs. A recent study by the Richmond Fed reveals that workers displaced from tech-impacted jobs now find it much harder to re-enter the workforce. Companies are flooded with hundreds of applications and increasingly use AI tools themselves to screen candidates.
"If I truly believe I have value, I need to go out and get it," Weiss reflects with cautious optimism as he weighs his next steps.
Temporary Work and New Horizons
In January, Weiss managed to secure temporary work paying $70 an hour at Mercor, a company paying experts to train artificial intelligence. His work involved drafting complex chemical engineering questions, but in mid-March, his contract was terminated via a Slack message. Weiss is now weighing his options, including law school entrance exams, political activism in Utah, and developing a laser-equipped drone to destroy invasive weeds.
