Remote work expansion blamed for surge in youth unemployment, NY Fed finds

A New York Fed study links the growth of remote work to about 64% of the rise in youth unemployment since 2019, with the jobless rate for young college grads reaching 5.6% in March 2026. The researchers warn that hiring inexperienced workers into distributed teams hampers training and feedback, potentially causing lasting career effects, even as some studies note productivity gains from remote work. Gen Z generally prefers hybrid arrangements to full remote work.