Almost half of 2020 college grads still looking for work: "I should be out of the house by now"

Tabitha Palmer graduated in May of 2020 with a master's degree in English from the University of Alabama. After completing her studies, she moved back home to Warrior, Alabama, smack in the middle of the pandemic. A year later, she's still living with her parents and looking for her first full-time job in publishing.

"I'm 25 — I should be out of the house by now, but the circumstances messed that up," Palmer told CBS MoneyWatch. She also said she had expected her job hunt to take about six to nine months, but "COVID doubled it and made it a one- to two-year process." Palmer is among those in the class of 2020 who are struggling to get their careers off the ground, or even land a decent job, following the pandemic's epic hit to U.S. job market. The fallout may also cloud the employment picture for the class of 2021, which is entering the labor force at a time the nation's jobless rate remains elevated.