COVID-19 verified everything I already believed part 54857857575775757

if you're graduating with a PhD in 2020, you likely started in the fall of 2014 or perhaps 2015. Back then, you exited the economy that was pretty decent, fair-to-middlin', as they say

If you are planning on entering the economy now, we don't really have great news for you.

I think it's possible the answer is "I don't know what the economy of 2020 will fully look like", the number of economists who are saying "the economy will be GREAT" is quite low

This is something I try to get across when I talk to new seniors about "I'm thinking about going to graduate school, and I'm not sure about the future for chemists"

My response: "the median time to PhD for chemistry graduate students is 5.7 years - we have no idea what the economy will look like then"

Here we are.

To the PhD class of 2020, the chemistry community (and I) will be with you every step of the way forward. I wish I could tell you we knew what was ahead, but this is new. #chemjobs