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Graduates Face Bleak Market; Employers Demand Problem-Solvers.

5/21/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Graduates in Western New York and Arizona face a job market, with Tim O’Shei from Education Revolution Association reporting nine of ten employers want problem-solvers and eight of ten value teamwork.
Julia Bognar, an Arizona State design graduate, was rejected by U-Haul and heard no other offers.
Her mother Jennifer Bognar recalled the 1991 recession after Persian Gulf war, which cut 1.5 million jobs and created a bleak market for graduates.

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Story summary

Graduates in Western New York and Arizona face a job market, with Tim O’Shei from Education Revolution Association reporting nine of ten employers want problem-solvers and eight of ten value teamwork.
Julia Bognar, an Arizona State design graduate, was rejected by U-Haul and heard no other offers.
Her mother Jennifer Bognar recalled the 1991 recession after Persian Gulf war, which cut 1.5 million jobs and created a bleak market for graduates.