By JOE LIGHT The unemployment rate for new college graduates has
climbed since before the recession, prompting some recent grads
to delay looking for a job. The worst recession in decades—and
its subsequent, halting recovery—has particularly punished
individuals short on work experience or skills. Since May 2007,
the percentage of the population under age 25 who are currently
employed has dropped more than seven percentage points to 45.1%,
according to the Labor Dept. The shift is part of a larger
transformation in the American work force, where the country's
aging population is leading to a growing number of older workers
in jobs or looking for work. With the pace of job openings not
keeping up with population growth, that means fewer open
positions for younger workers. Indeed, the percentage of the
population age 55 and older who are employed has increased more
than five percentage points in the last decade, to 37.5%. To be
sure, part of the shift is due to more young workers deciding to
stay longer in scho