In the US, the race for a first job is pushing some families to spend more than $50,000

By Tahani Elghazaly
Published April 15, 2026

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In the United States, anxiety for many families no longer ends with college admission or graduation. It now extends to a harder battle: how to secure a foothold for their children in a job market that is becoming tougher for new graduates. In that context, a Bloomberg Businessweek report published on April 13, 2026 found that some families are paying thousands of dollars, and in some cases more than $50,000, for early career coaching that includes resume preparation, interview training, and strategic planning for applications and internships before a career even begins.

What was once seen as a niche extra service is now emerging as a growing business built around parental anxiety and a shrinking margin for easy entry into professional life. According to the report, some programs run for several months and cost between $4,000 and $15,000, while some intensive packages go beyond $50,000 as more students and families turn to coaches and consultants to manage the first steps of a career search.

The shift comes as official indicators show that landing a first job has become more difficult. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York said the unemployment rate for recent college graduates reached about 5.7 percent in the fourth quarter of 2025, while the underemployment rate rose to 42.5 percent, the highest level since 2020. At the same time, the National Association of Colleges and Employers said employers expect only a 1.6 percent increase in hiring for the Class of 2026. Together, these figures suggest that some wealthier families are starting to treat the first job not as a routine next step after university, but as a full family investment.