It's truer than ever because of applicant tracking systems that allow HR to automatically filter out people without degrees before they are even seen by the hiring manager.
In combination with oversaturation of university graduates, it's an easy box HR can tick to lower the applicant pool.
If that's true, it's painfully tragic.
Still comes off as jaded and pessimistically biased. Not representative of whole white collar, just some segment in it.
It's VERY different than my direct experience, and indirect exposure including statements I've read about hiring policies at attractive employers.