Finding that first job out of college has long been a rite of passage but for Gen Z’s formative years defined by a pandemic, it seems to be complicated.

Not all young people have recovered or made their way into the workforce – especially Black and Latino teens and young adults in Chicago, where youth unemployment has been consistently higher than the national average. Despite education levels on the rise, Cook County still has more areas with extreme unemployment than any other in the U.S.

As more Gen Z settle into or approach post-grad life, we want to hear from you.

Your comments will be used to guide our reporting. With your permission, your experiences could also appear in future stories on the issue.

To take our short survey, use the form below.