Graduates say salary talks more stressful than breakups
- A 2025 survey of 2,000 graduates from 2024 and 2025 found most considered negotiating salary more stressful than breaking up.
- The survey by Talker Research for banking app Chime aimed to examine graduates' real-world preparedness and their stress triggers post-graduation.
- It showed 54% found salary talks worse than breakups, 52% said filing taxes was complicated, while only 35% have stuck to a budget.
- Additionally, 71% worried about their next step after graduation, with only 42% feeling very sure about post-graduation plans, highlighting uncertainty.
- The results imply that graduates face financial and career anxieties, and experts advise starting with basics and adapting plans as circumstances change.
25 Articles
25 Articles

Graduates say salary talks more stressful than breakups
Recent graduates believe it’s more “anxiety-inducing” to negotiate their salary with an employer than it is to break up with a partner, according to new research. A survey of 2,000 higher education graduates (from 2024 and 2025) gave respondents several…
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- 36% of the sources are Center, 36% of the sources lean Right
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