While the economy booms and unemployment stays low, white-collar workers are feeling the job market blues. Job searches are lasting longer, and offers are harder to come by. Vanguard, a major player in retirement savings, notes that while blue-collar jobs are thriving, white-collar opportunities are dwindling.

• In March, the US added 303K jobs, but only 7K were in professional and business services, where many white-collar jobs reside.
• Hiring remains strong for those earning under $55K, at 1.5%, but it’s slowed to 0.5% for those making over $96K — marking the worst dip since 2014, excluding COVID-19 impacts.

The future of high-skilled employment: Vanguard’s Fiona Greig suggests companies are cutting high-earning roles to save money, which could lead to lower job satisfaction and morale. Guy Berger from the Burning Glass Institute warns that AI may threaten traditionally stable high-income jobs as it takes over tasks like writing and analysis — pointing to a future where highly educated professionals could face tougher competition and fewer opportunities.

Read: US Job Market Heats Up, With Wage Growth Rising 10% for Job Changers