Sources
Research and Sources.
Every number we cite about the 2026 job market, with the primary source. Verify anything. If a source breaks, email us at support@imfitted.com and we’ll fix it within 48 hours.
Cohort size
How many people are entering the workforce. Useful for sizing the campaign and understanding the cohort we're talking to.
~2.0 million
US bachelor's degree recipients projected for 2026 graduation
~3.3 million
US high school graduates expected in 2026
Hiring outlook
Macro state of the new-grad hiring market for the Class of 2026.
Flat
NACE Class of 2026 hiring projection, downgraded from "good" to "fair." Employers project a 1.6% increase, the lowest non-pandemic outlook in years.
~55%
Class of 2024 graduates with full-time work at 6 months post-graduation
Underemployment and unemployment
How recent grads are faring vs. the general workforce. The four-year-high underemployment rate is the most-cited stat in our marketing.
41.5%
Recent-grad underemployment rate, Q1 2026. Highest level since 2020.
5.7% vs 4.2%
Recent-grad unemployment rate vs. general workforce unemployment rate. Four-year high gap.
Job search math
How many applications a typical new-grad sends to land an offer.
100 to 180
Job applications per offer for new grads in 2026
400+
Applications received per entry-level posting
7.4 months
Average new-graduate job search duration if started after graduation
~6 seconds
Average recruiter time spent on a resume in the initial scan
Ghost jobs
Postings for roles that aren't actively being filled. We use these stats to argue users should filter postings before applying.
27.4%
US LinkedIn job listings classified as ghost jobs
~48%
Tech-sector listings classified as ghost jobs (higher than the 27.4% all-sectors rate)
AI displacement and layoffs
Data on how AI is affecting entry-level hiring. Used in the AI Risk Score and grad-cohort messaging.
~9 in 10 (90%)
Class of 2026 graduates worried AI will replace entry-level roles. Up from 64% in 2025.
~80,000
Tech-sector layoffs in Q1 2026, with about half attributed to AI restructuring
Resume formatting and ATS
The screening layer between an applicant and a recruiter. The 99% / 75% pair is widely cited.
99%
Of Fortune 500 companies use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to screen resumes
75%
Of resumes are filtered out by ATS before a recruiter sees them
Hiring season timing
September-October is the largest seasonal peak; January-February is second.
Sep-Oct, then Jan-Feb
Largest and second-largest hiring peaks of the year, per multiple sources
Adjacent: student career tools
Context on competitor and adjacent tools.
Free 12 months
Microsoft 365 Premium + LinkedIn Premium Career bundle for verified students. Announced January 2026.
FTC precedents (informs our claim discipline)
We do not make outcome guarantees. The FTC takes data and outcome claims seriously.
$15.5 million
FTC refunds sent to consumers misled by Career Step's job-placement and employer-partnership claims, March 2025. Sets the bar for what we will and won't claim.
How we use these sources
Before any stat lands on a Fitted page, blog post, or social post, we add it here with a primary URL. The compact citation format on graphics ("NY FED · Q1 2026") maps back to the entries above. We re-verify URLs quarterly. If something 404s, we move it to a stale-sources record rather than quietly remove it, so the trail stays traceable.
We don’t make outcome claims. We don’t say Fitted will get you a job. We say Fitted strengthens applications. The distinction is on purpose.