Jack Weis has a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Ivy League powerhouse Princeton. His research on ice formation was cited by the Nobel committee. Now he can’t even get a food-prep job with a company that sells frozen crab cakes.
Since graduating in 2024, Weis has applied to more than 2,300 jobs and still hasn’t landed one, according to The Wall Street Journal. He started with pharmaceutical science roles and national lab fellowships. When that didn’t work out, he widened his search to software engineering and eventually frozen crab prep. Two years after finishing his doctorate, Jack Weis is living in his parents’ basement. “It’s quite surprising,” said his mom. “I don’t know how to put it together.”
His story reflects a frozen job market for college graduates. Economists call it a “low-hire, low-fire” environment, where workers stay put and openings stay scarce. Long-term unemployment this summer hit its highest level in over a decade outside the pandemic, and AI screening tools are making it harder for applicants to reach a human.
Weis is now prepping for the LSAT and trying to create a business, using AI to design a drone that kills invasive weeds. “If I truly believe I have some value, I should go out and get it,” he said.
Jack Weis has a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Ivy League powerhouse Princeton. His research on ice formation was cited by the Nobel committee. Now he can’t even get a food-prep job with a company that sells frozen crab cakes.
Since graduating in 2024, Weis has applied to more than 2,300 jobs and still hasn’t landed one, according to The Wall Street Journal. He started with pharmaceutical science roles and national lab fellowships. When that didn’t work out, he widened his search to software engineering and eventually frozen crab prep. Two years after finishing his doctorate, Jack Weis is living in his parents’ basement. “It’s quite surprising,” said his mom. “I don’t know how to put it together.”
His story reflects a frozen job market for college graduates. Economists call it a “low-hire, low-fire” environment, where workers stay put and openings stay scarce. Long-term unemployment this summer hit its highest level in over a decade outside the pandemic, and AI screening tools are making it harder for applicants to reach a human.
Weis is now prepping for the LSAT and trying to create a business, using AI to design a drone that kills invasive weeds. “If I truly believe I have some value, I should go out and get it,” he said.