> The national economic data backs up their experience. The unemployment rate among recent graduates has been increasing this year to an average of 5.3%, compar

> The national economic data backs up their experience. The unemployment rate among recent graduates has been increasing this year to an average of 5.3%, compared to around 4% for the labor force as a whole, making it one of the toughest job markets for recent graduates since 2015, according to an analysis by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York released Friday.