TikTok has become a space where individuals, particularly millennials and Gen Zers, can share their daily experiences and concerns. Lately, a growing number of young TikTok users are using the platform to vent their frustrations about the challenging job market in the U.S. in 2023.
Alison Johnson, a fitness influencer on TikTok, recently went viral for a candid video in which she expressed her dissatisfaction with her current job situation. Despite holding a business marketing degree that left her $80,000 in debt, Johnson found herself working in a job she hated, serving sushi rolls, instead of pursuing a career in her field of study.
So, I’m headed to my serving job … I fucking hate it. I have my literal business marketing degree that put me in a cute $80,000 in debt and I make more serving sushi rolls.
“I’m an almost 25-year-old chick going against corporate ass America … people with so much experience. All I got is my degree. People say get your degree, but then they don’t talk about how you need experience. The degree was the experience,” she stressed.
Another TikTok user, Natasha, shared her own job-seeking struggles in another viral video. With five years of experience in human resources, Natasha said that she had been unemployed since November 2022, despite applying to countless job openings.
These TikTokers’ frustrations are not isolated incidents. Many young job seekers, even those with extensive experience, are struggling with a difficult job market. In October, U.S. job openings reached their lowest levels in two years, Business Insider reported.
While the November jobs report showed positive gains in employment, with 199,000 jobs added and a decline in the national unemployment rate, TikTok users continue to express their struggles, feeling that the official data doesn’t accurately represent their job search experiences, Fox Business News reported.
Some young people on social media said they had had to look into alternative career paths, as there were job gains only in certain sectors. Healthcare had the biggest gains last month, with 76,800 new jobs followed by government (49,000), and leisure and hospitality (40,000).
Photo by Mizuno K: https://www.pexels.com/photo/tired-woman-by-empty-desk-12912150/