Challenger, Gray & Christmas
Coverage of Challenger, Gray & Christmas in the Nexus archive.
- Teenagers are shooting out over 50 applications and getting ghosted even for volunteer jobs: ‘I’ll take anything at this point’
Teenagers are facing a difficult summer job market, which may mark the lowest teen hiring since 1948, according to recent reports. Many students report being ghosted or rejected after sending dozens of applications for seasonal and volunteer jobs. These struggles have led teens to adopt various strategies, including going to local storefronts with resumes in hand, while competition demands increasing levels of experience.
- The rise of white-collar socialists: ‘A lot of tech workers are working class’
A survey of Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) members shows growing representation of white-collar and tech-sector workers, with 13% and 9% respectively in 2021. Political gains for democratic socialists, like Zohran Mamdani's mayoral win, and rising skepticism of capitalism (51% in a 2023 Wall Street Journal survey) highlight shifting attitudes. Tech layoffs and economic anxiety, including a 5.6% unemployment rate for recent college graduates in March 2026, are cited as drivers.
- Companies name AI as top reason for job cuts for second straight month: Analysis
US-based employers announced 83,387 job cuts in April, a 38% increase from March, citing artificial intelligence as a top reason for layoffs. This marks the second straight month AI has been named as a key factor for job cuts. Layoffs were still down 21% from the previous year.