LinkedIn's 2026 Grad's Guide shows where opportunity is growing Published on Apr 15, 2026 Categories: Company News, Data and insights
LinkedIn Corporate Communications
Share
LinkedIn
Facebook
Twitter
Key Insights:
44% of Gen Z saying not having the right network is the biggest barrier to landing an entry-level role
21% are creating their own opportunities with side hustles or starting a business
72% of young office workers are considering a switch to skilled trades
Entry-level hiring has declined 6% YoY vs. 10% for mid-level roles LinkedIn's 2026 Grad's Guide shows where opportunity is growing - and what's holding Gen Z back. According to new LinkedIn data, it's not what you know, it's who you know, with almost half (44%) of Gen Z saying not having the right network is the biggest barrier to landing an entry-level role.
Gen Z is creating their own opportunities
Gen Z is increasingly building their own paths into the workforce rather than waiting for a traditional 9-to-5.
21% have started a business or side-hustle to kickstart their career.
22% are building apps, websites or other projects to showcase their skills.
The number of LinkedIn members adding founder to their profile in the U.S. has surged by 69% year-over-year and nearly tripled since 2022.
Entry-level hiring trends in 2026
According to LinkedIn data, hiring is slowing across all levels - but entry-level roles are proving more resilient:
Entry-level hiring is down 6% year-over-year
Mid-level hiring is down 10% year-over-year
LinkedIn's 2026 Grad's Guide shows where opportunity is growing, helping new graduates look beyond traditional paths and focus on the fastest-growing roles, industries and locations.
Growth remains strongest in tech, financial services, construction, and real estate - where companies are investing and infrastructure is expanding.
Plan B careers on the rise
Entering one of the toughest markets in years, Gen Z is widely reconsidering traditional career paths - reflecting a broader shift toward stability, demand and long-term opportunity.
72% of young office workers are considering a switch to skilled trades, such as such as an electrician, mechanic and construction worker
12% have already done so
32% are taking roles outside their field to build in-demand skills.
How to find jobs on LinkedIn
Find the roles faster: Use AI-powered job search to discover opportunities that match your background - including industries you might have never considered. The feature is now rolling out globally in English, Spanish, French, German and Portuguese.
Focus on the highest match: Prioritize roles where your skills are already a strong fit with LinkedIn's job match feature. This has already reduced applications to low-match roles by 10% among US Premium subscribers.
Build your network intentionally: Follow people and connect with professionals you know and trust. LinkedIn's new AI-powered people search, now available to all members in the US, makes it easier to find professionals whose career paths inspire you.
Show proof, not just potential: Share projects, examples of your work, and the skills you have built. Verifying your skills, such as AI Tools like Loveable or Replit can also help employers quickly see your capabilities.
Stay organized throughout your search: Use job tracker to monitor applications, plan follow-ups and identify connections who can help you stand out.
Learn as you go: Explore additional tools, tips and free courses at linkedin.com/jobsearchguide.
For more insights and to join the conversation on LinkedIn:
Catherine Fisher, LinkedIn Career Expert
Dan Roth, Editor-in-Chief
Explore the Grad's Guide list in your region: Brazil | France | Germany | India | Italy | Netherlands | Singapore | Spain | UK | US
Methodology
Entry Level Sentiment Research
The research was conducted by Censuswide, among a sample of 1000 respondents within the first three years of their career (Aged 18-29) across the USA. The data was collected between March 17 and March 23, 2026. Censuswide is a member of the Market Research Society (MRS) and the British Polling Council (BPC), and a signatory of the Global Data Quality Pledge. Censuswide adheres to the MRS Code of Conduct and ESOMAR principles
Grad's Guide 2026
Grad's Guide is data-driven by analyzing the career paths of millions of professionals. The list identifies the fastest growing jobs, industries, and cities by country, ranked by the annual growth rate over the past 3 years.
Career Starter: All LinkedIn members whose most recent training during the three-year analysis period was a high school diploma, associate's degree, bachelor's degree, or apprenticeship.
Entry-Level: Entry-level employees are defined as LinkedIn members who are within the organizational structure of a company and individually contribute with basic training and guidance.
Fastest Growing Jobs: LinkedIn Economic Graph researchers analyzed the job titles held by members in their first full-time position after graduation and compared the average share of hiring for that metric between, excluding internships, student roles, volunteer positions, and interim roles.
Fastest Growing Industries: Fast-growing industries were ranked using the company listed under the first position members held after graduating.
Fastest Growing Cities: LinkedIn Economic Graph researchers examined the first position held by members after graduating and the location listed for the position.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
31/05/2026
Olivia P rez-Collellmir to Premiere Original Work at Gaud Centennial in Barcelona The Berklee graduate and faculty member will debut her choral symphony with...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Zero in on one that says yes (and no)
Andy Marken May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Hero image courtesy of Deposit Photos
For content creators the most difficu...
29/05/2026
With InfoComm 2026 just weeks away, NDI is giving attendees plenty of reasons to...
29/05/2026
Reaffirming a partnership that has defined Canadian sports broadcasting since 19...
29/05/2026
Mobile/tablet is No. 2 device for watching TV, suggesting that the sports-production industry needs to take another look at the format
Ring Digital's Sprin...
29/05/2026
Berliner Ensemble, one of Berlin's five major theater companies, has expande...
29/05/2026
Solid State Logic will showcase its new compact, fly-away TCA Tour audio product...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, passed away last month on April 12 ...
29/05/2026
Paramount+ will be the English-language U.S. home for Barclays Women's Super...
29/05/2026
Further strengthening its virtualisation strategy to fully support broadcasters ...
29/05/2026
Swiss broadcaster Canal Alpha has deployed Harmonic's award-winning, software-based XOS Advanced Media Processor to modernize playout operations across cant...
29/05/2026
PTZOptics will showcase a new generation of intelligent video workflows at InfoComm 2026, June 17-19, Las Vegas. Visitors to booth N8227 will see how PTZOptics ...
29/05/2026
Arizona's Family has launched the Arizona's Family Sports (AZFS) streaming app, a new direct-to-consumer destination for live, local sports. The app is ...
29/05/2026
Starting in 2027, DAZN will be the exclusive home of The Canadian Football Leagu...
29/05/2026
Comcast Business has detailed the advanced network infrastructure it has deploye...
29/05/2026
In two-day event, leaders from academia and industry explored solutions to chall...
29/05/2026
The Basketball Tournament (TBT), now entering their 13th year of competition, ha...
29/05/2026
Roku has launched FOX One as a Premium Subscription on The Roku Channel in the U.S. Roku customers can now subscribe to FOX One using their Roku account for liv...
29/05/2026
In its sixth year, the broadcaster's coverage has become a global brand and ...
29/05/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent ratings news and is derived from press re...
29/05/2026
The days are getting longer, the temperatures are rising, and playlists are filling up for the season. With summer around the corner, Spotify's global edito...
29/05/2026
New retro-inspired MPC announced
There are few devices that have gained the status held by Akai Pro's MPC range, and in recent years, the company have s...
29/05/2026
Save up to 30 on acclaimed titles
Following a successful launch at Superbooth 2026, Bjooks have revealed that they will be continuing the Kickstarter campa...
29/05/2026
Binaural monitoring application improved
Genelec have just released an update that brings some powerful new features to their HRTF-based binaural headphone ...
29/05/2026
6 June 2026 at SAE Institute, London, UK
IMSTA FESTA 2026 is almost upon us, with some of the biggest names in pro-audio set to descend upon SAE Institute i...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, died April 12, 2026, at his home in...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Comparing 5 AI Video Enhancers for Restoring Old Video Quality
Kate Luvis May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Digitizing VHS, MiniDV, and other legacy formats doe...
29/05/2026
Studio Hamburg Builds New Post Pipeline with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Workflow replaces a patchwork of legacy tools...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
At the Intersection of Music and Dance, an Epic Collaboration Boston Conservatory musicians and dancers found creative parallels in their recent performance o...
29/05/2026
Back to All News
Latino Film Institute Fellows Screen Their Short Films at the Egyptian Theatre
The Inclusion Fellowship and Spark Animation Grant uplifts 15 ...
29/05/2026
GLOOKAST LAUNCHES CINNAFILM TACHYON PLUGIN FOR MEDIA PRODUCER AND MEDIA SERVICES
This release first appeared here.
Visit our Tachyon product page or contact...
29/05/2026
May 29 2026, 09:00 (PDT) Dolby and rednote Bring More Immersive Storytelling to...
29/05/2026
Something fundamental has shifted in how people consume media. Audiences aren't abandoning television or radio content; they're just expanding how, wher...
29/05/2026
Youtube exclusive special drops today
Watch now
UKTV today announces another e...
LinkedIn's 2026 Grad's Guide shows where opportunity is growing Published on Apr 15, 2026 Categories: Company News, Data and insights 
