I bought my first home at age 21. I had graduated from UCSD at age 19. My dad loaned me $4,000 at 10% interest for the down payment and I repaid every penny. I purchased the 2nd house 5 years later and had saved the money necessary. I kept that one for 18 years before buying my current residence in Idaho in 2000. All paid off free and clear from the income I earned putting in 40 to 60 hours a week. There was no free lunch. I retired last year and intend to enjoy my free and clear home until I pass on.
To be fair to young people the job market is absolutely brutal.
According to LinkedIn data there is a 2.5% response rate to job applications.
That doesn’t mean even an interview, that includes “we’re decided to move on with other candidates” emails.
Typically you need 200 applications just to land a couple of interviews, several hundred more to get an offer.
So no, you can’t just “work hard” if you can’t find work.