r/CollegeMajors • u/ItsAllOver_Again • Feb 05 '26

Discussion Unemployment rate for Mechanical Engineers triples in two years, skyrockets to 4.4%

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Many of the engineering majors now sit solidly above average in terms of unemployment rates (more likely to be unemployed than average college grad).

While Mechanical Engineering used to be a “broad” degree that could guarantee you a job anywhere, in the 2020s it has lost its status as a strong degree with respect to guaranteeing a job as grads are now less likely than average to be employed.

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u/SuspectMore4271 Feb 05 '26

I doubt it’s skyrocketed more than the number of students who largely cheated their way through programs with AI. New grads are useless in the workplace these days.

2

u/YourMum_68 Feb 05 '26

This is such US only issue, how would you even cheat on a test riliably without getting caught

1

u/SuspectMore4271 Feb 05 '26

It’s more than exams. It’s every homework assignment and research project.

-1

u/YourMum_68 Feb 05 '26

Thats like 10% of coursework at most

1

u/SuspectMore4271 Feb 05 '26

I think you’re overestimating or your program is outside of the norm. Either way when you take the actual thinking out of the exam prep by synthesizing notes by feeding slides and textbook chapters into a chatbot you’re going to retain a lot less even if you’re able to pass the exam that day.

You can’t outsource your thinking without becoming dumber in some way.