Students applying for internships may experience fewer responses to applications, or fewer new postings in general, as part of an annual hiring deceleration. However, while the annual cycle continues, some economists are pointing to a larger downward trend in the job market after the Bureau of Labor Statistics released its September jobs report.
The report highlighted a nationwide 4.2% unemployment rate, with only 29,000 jobs added to the market in September and adjustments to the August and July reports removing another 60,000 new jobs from the economy. Large companies such as Target, Amazon and UPS have also announced large layoffs.
While these decreases aren’t entirely unexpected — the New York Times and Forbes reported issues with the market as early as June of 2026 — they can still impact students looking for internships or seniors applying for entry-level positions.
In January, Forbes reported that the entry-level crisis may become worse, affecting younger demographics in the job market.
One factor of the crisis is the experience of a candidate. According to Forbes, about 35% of entry-level positions require three or more years of experience, with some industries requiring up to five years.
Another factor is the prevalence of ghost job postings — roles and positions posted by companies that are never intended to be filled. The Wall Street Journal found that 19-22% of total job postings are “ghost” postings, saturating the market with opportunities that may never come to fruition.
In addition to these larger trends in the markets, interactions with individual companies can cause frustration among candidates.
Rory Bowers graduated from Butler University in 2026, and now works as an elementary music teacher in Pike Township.
“[The job search] was a lot of sitting there and refreshing,” Bowers said. “Once I started getting interviews, [I would] talk to administrators, they would say they’d be in touch, and then I’d be ghosted.”
Bowers is not alone in the experience. LinkedIn found in December 2025 that 65% of job seekers have been ghosted following interviews.
“It feels sucky,” Bowers said. “They always say ‘yeah, we’re going to reach out’ and only one of the schools actually did. It just goes to show [their] money isn’t where their mouth is and it just sucks.”
However, these issues may not be a reason to lose hope in the market.
Gary Beaulieu is the senior director of the Career and Professional Success (CaPS) office at Butler and has worked with the office for 23 years, helping students and alumni to navigate the job market.
“This is what I would call a transforming job market, because we are seeing the entry-level positions that students would typically go into transform,” Beaulieu said. “Those duties are becoming much more automated and can be done through AI.”
However, that does not necessarily create a bad market for students or those applying to entry-level positions.
“Employers are still hiring,” Beaulieu said. “They’re doing it at a slower rate than they used to. It’s competitive, there’s no question about it, but there are still lots of jobs out there that are available and are for students.”
Beaulieu believes students may need to change their approach to access and far an interview.
“Most organizations have an applicant tracking system and they set it to match to a job description,” Beaulieu said. “A system may not recognize collaboration as the same as teamwork, so really matching the wording will set you apart and hopefully get you to the next step. It sucks, but it means you have to tailor every single [application].”
As students continue applying for opportunities, additional resources can benefit the job search.
“[CaPS] is here specifically to help you,” Beaulieu said. “You can come to us at any point in the process, whether you need help with a specific application or if you have no idea what you even want to do yet. It’s free, so please come see us and let us help you.”
The CaPS office provides resume review, assistance in writing and editing cover letters, mock interviews and career planning for free to all Butler students and alumni.
Taylor Johanneson, a senior sociology-psychology and religious leadership double major, has worked in the CaPS office for over two years, providing direct assistance to students.
“The CaPS office is one of the best ways that Butler shows up for its students,” Johanneson said. “We have an advisor for every single college. They can help with your cover letter but they also have a specific network of alumni and staff to help [students].”
Johanneson explained that individualized support continues past graduation and long into your career, available whenever a current or previous student may need it.
“Even [if you’re graduating], and you’re not sure what’s next, you don’t lose CaPS resources,” Johanneson said. “Even [if you’re graduating], and you’re not sure what’s next, you don’t lose CaPS resources. Any chance to come here will help you get where you’re going.”