Key Takeaways Small businesses are expected to hire about 974,000 recent grads ages 20 to 24 in the 2026 season, up from 962,000 in 2025, according to a new Gusto report. Traditional white-collar launchpads like financial analyst, software engineer, and research associate roles are taking up a smaller share of jobs. Over two million people earned Bachelor’s degrees last year, and just over one million earned associate degrees, according to Education Data. While many new college graduates are aiming for jobs at big-name companies , small businesses are ramping up hiring. Small businesses with one to 49 employees are expected to hire about 974,000 new graduates ages 20 to 24 in 2026 — an increase from 962,000 last year, according to a recent report from payroll platform Gusto.…