Small businesses say they aren’t planning to hire many recent graduates for entry-level jobs – here’s why

College students should be more intentional when preparing for the job market, and could consider internships and short-term jobs to help them get ahead.

By: Murugan Anandarajan, Drexel University; Cuneyt Gozu, Drexel University, and David Prisco, Drexel University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: January 13, 2026

Words: 1,065

Last Updated: 2 months, 1 week ago

Body Text Preview

By Murugan Anandarajan, Drexel University; Cuneyt Gozu, Drexel University, and David Prisco, Drexel University

Small businesses are planning to hire fewer recent college graduates than they did in 2025, making it likely harder for this cohort to find entry-level jobs.

In our recent national survey, we found that small businesses are 30% more likely than larger employers to say they are not hiring recent college graduates in 2026. About 1 in 5 small-business employers …

Create a free account to access this story and more

Join Plucky Wire to access full stories, collaborate with newsrooms, and discover content from networks around the world.

Email Us