There Is Hope in the Job Market for Gen Z, After All

Trying to land your first job post-college is already hard enough for some, but trying to do so in this economy? When the job market has been notoriously out of control? Yeah, no thanks. But LinkedIn is saying it’s not all doom and gloom for new graduates; there is still a wealth of opportunity for entry-level job seekers, and mainly, in brand new places.

According to LinkedIn’s annual Grad’s Guide, a report all about the job titles, industries, and cities that are perfect for young professionals entering their careers, more than half (51.3%) of Gen Z job seekers are rethinking the traditional 9-to-5 desk job for professions that are more flexible, like freelancing, entrepreneur, and consultant roles.

Of course, this isn’t the case for everyone though. For those Gen Zers looking to stay in a traditional work setting, the 2026 LinkedIn Grad’s Guide said the below roles are the fastest-growing positions for early career grads:

AI Engineer
Marketing Coordinator
Recruitment Assistant
Legal Specialist
Human Resources Operations Specialist
Business Development Representative
Partnerships Associate
Machine Learning Engineer
Loan Officer
Purchasing Coordinator

And while many new grads may think jetting off to a major city like New York City, Chicago, or Los Angeles is just part of the “getting a job” formula, the report proved otherwise. Early career grads are looking to more unexpected cities to kick off their careers. According to the report, those cities are: