Bachelor’s level job openings continue to decline

Job openings requiring a bachelor’s degree have steadily declined for the last few years, down about 14% in Q12026 compared to the year before, then 21% in Q2 2026. The decline isn’t limited to four-year degrees as postings for master’s, associate’s, and vocational roles all fell more than 29% from a year ago, while only Ph.D. roles held fairly steady. While the labor market is slowly recovering from 2025 levels, bachelor’s level roles still make up the largest share of openings, close to 39%.