Monday, July 14, 2014

Employment for College Grads after the Recovery


According to an Inside Higher Ed article on a new government report, “Four of five students who graduated college in 2008 were able to find some sort of employment in the four years after their graduation, despite entering the work force during the worst of the economic recession, a federal report shows.” This very positive reading of the report has to be put in context.  First of all, the study is only looking at people who graduated from four-year institutions, not community colleges or for-profit schools.  Second of all, out of the 82% who have jobs, 84% have full-time jobs, so that means that 31% of all of these recent grads with degrees from four-year institutions were either unemployed or worked half time or less.  Moreover, 10% of the employed were actually back in school.

One important issue that the report fails to examine is whether these students with bachelor degrees are working at jobs that traditionally require these degrees.  We know from general labor trends that over 25% of the people working now who have earned college degrees are working at jobs that used to only require a high school degree or less.  The government web site does tells us that 22% of the sample were in jobs not related to their college major, 40% were in jobs  closely related to their major, and 31% had employment in jobs somewhat related to their majors.

A major problem with the study is that it relies mostly on self-reporting and a 17,00 person sample that skews white and female.  73% of the respondents were white and 58 were female.  Moreover, 73% had graduated before the age of 24.  Also, 32% graduated from private universities, and so this sample does not look like most students who are now enrolled in higher education.  

Within this rather selective group of graduates (remember less than 60% of the students at these institutions ever graduate), after four years, the median salary for a full-time worker was $46,000 and the median salary for a part-time employee was $20,000.  So half of the 69% (34%) of the recent college grads with full-time jobs with bachelor degrees from this selective sample were making less than $46,000 a year, and another 16% were making less than $20,000.    

The report also tells us that in four years after graduation, 39% had one job, 34% were on second job, and 28% have had three or more jobs.  In other words, there is a high level of job movement, which resulted in the finding that the average student in this sample spent 10 months out of the labor force in four years.  We are thus a far way from the opening claim that four out of five recent graduates had jobs.  Like so much reporting on employment, general claims have to be analyzed at a much deeper level in order to get the real story.  A more accurate summary of this report would say that out of the select group of students who graduated in 2007-8 from four-year institutions, 61% presently had full-time jobs with a median salary of  $46,000, while the rest of these graduates were making a median salary of $20,000 or less. Of course, these stats do not include the vast majority of students who are either at community colleges or who will never graduate. 




32 comments:

  1. Excellent analysis--how easy it is to take a positive spin from statistics before one digs deeper to see what they really mean.

    ReplyDelete
  2. What a great initiative here. I'll look around the site and see if I can offer any additional ideas. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Great post. i like it. feeling great when reading your post .
    ---
    play game jogos de friv online and play game jogos friv | jogos do friv

    ReplyDelete
  4. This is wonderful. This is precisely the article I needed to read today
    --
    i like play game clickjogos online free and apply baixar facebook online free and apply baixar mobogenie online free

    ReplyDelete
  5. Nowadays peoples are considering beginning a home based business, and for good reasons. By and large, individuals can hope to have two and three vocations amid their work life. Those abandoning one vocation frequently consider their second or third profession move being to their own particular home. Individuals who have been a piece of the customary nine-to-five work compel and are very nearly resigning from that life are considering what to do next. The uplifting news: Starting a homebased business is inside of the span of very nearly any individual who needs to take a danger and buckle down. You can use best essay writing services for any kind of writing help.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Interestingly this blog very useful for me thank you., a genre or game immensely, I enjoyed it friz - stardoll games
    Unblocked games
    Pou
    friv 2015 games

    ReplyDelete
  7. شركة الطيب تقدم لكم اليوم جميع الخدمات المنزلية بمدينة مكة المكرمة فسوف نبدأ افضل شركة تنظيف بمكة فان خدمات التنظيف بمكة تعد من الخدمات التي تحتاج الي شركة با رعة في خدمات التنظيف فاذا كنت تريد افضل شركة نقل اثاث خارج الرياض فمكنك التواصل معنا لاننا افضل شركة تنظيف منازل بمكة بارعة و متخخصة في خدمات تنظيف المنازل كما اننا افضلافضل شركة تنظيف كنب بالرياض نقوم بتنظيف الكنب بالرياض لاننا نعرف اهمية تنظيف الكنب و لماذا نقدم لكم تلك الخدمات نقدم لكم تلك الخدمات لاننا افضل افضل شركة تسليك مجاري بالرياض وايضا تحتاج العملاء الي شركة متفوقة في تنظيف الخزانات فنحن افضل شركة تنظيف خزانات بمكة كما اننا نقوم بنقل الاثاث بمكة و بالرياض فنحن شركات مكافحة الحشرات بمكة و ايضا افضل افضل شركة نقل عفش بمكة تعد شركة المنارة الشركة الاولي في خدمات نقل الاثاث فنحن افضل و شكرا لكم ونقدم لكم ايضا خدمة مهما جدا و هي كما اننا شركة نقل اثاث بمكةو بالمملكة العربية السعودية نعتمد علي ايدي مدربة و ايضا احدث فرقة من السيارات المجهزة لنقل الاثاث

    ReplyDelete
  8. Last however not least, education makes a man delicate and more aware of his environment and condition. He turns out to be more responsive and helpless to the requirements of individuals who are not so much fortunate but rather more meriting than himuseful site

    ReplyDelete
  9. I actually appreciate your own position and My girl,do you want to change the style? I hope that people visit my website.
    GirlsGoGames

    ReplyDelete
  10. Yeah this analysis is almost true about the year 2008. At that time graduates easily got the jobs as there was less competition but now the situation has changed because the competition has doubled.

    ReplyDelete
  11. In the Event That You already understand that You have to own custom testimonials researched and written and have not done yet Then perhaps today is your opportunity to visit some definitive decision seeing Custom made business reports. visit the website to see more and it'll help you to get the quality on your work.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Employment for College Grads after the Recovery is awesome post. Because you have good skill to write article. And this are really attractive to readers. Thanks for sharing this type of post with us. visit http://www.bibhelper.net/asa-annotated-bibliography-writing-and-editing/ here.

    ReplyDelete
  13. It is now becoming difficult for graduates to get a job immediately in their own field. A personal statement editing is very important before applying for a job.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Enjoy it many with regards to superior quality organize. I simply at this time looked like there was generally happy when I well known this approach stunning website. I simply at this time needs to tanks in that remarkable end! Additionally Will probably ended up cutting down your world-wide-web website to take a look payday loans lemon-grove Enjoy it in that website.

    ReplyDelete
  15. INSTEAD OF GETTING A LOAN,, I GOT SOMETHING NEW
    Get $5,500 USD every day, for six months!

    See how it works
    Do you know you can hack into any Credit cards machine with a hacked Credit cards??
    Make up your mind before applying, straight deal...

    Order for a blank Credit cards now and get millions within a week!: contact us
    via email address:: {Legitblankcardsonline@gmail.com}

    We have specially programmed Credits Cards that can be use to hack Credit cards Machines
    Nation Wide, the Credits Cards can be used to withdraw at any Credits Cards or swipe Machines, at
    Stores and POS Machines. We sell this cards to all our customers and interested
    buyers worldwide, the Credit Card has a daily withdrawal limit of $5,500 at any Credit cards Machines
    and up to $50,000 spending limit in stores depending on the kind of card
    you order for. Credits Cards Can also be used in any other cyber hack{Services}, we are here for you anytime any day.

    Here is our price lists for the Credits Cards:

    Cards that withdraw $5,500 per day costs $200 USD
    Cards that withdraw $10,000 per day costs $850 USD
    Cards that withdraw $35,000 per day costs $2,200 USD
    Cards that withdraw $50,000 per day costs $5,500 USD
    Cards that withdraw $100,000 per day costs $8,500 USD


    make up your mind before applying, straight deal!!!

    The price include shipping fees and charges, order now: contact us via
    email address:: {Legitblankcardsonline@gmail.com}

    ReplyDelete
  16. Great information on your site here. I love this post because we can get some useful information from your blog. I expect more post from you guys. This is nice site webstagram about instagram.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I am very happy with the content of your article it is very beneficial and I wait for the next article to update the information again.

    토토사이트
    온라인카지노
    파워볼사이트

    ReplyDelete
  18. Nice Post with information regarding great use! The ways you have illustrated the information is impressive. Thanks!

    스포츠토토
    토토
    안전놀이터
    토토사이트

    ReplyDelete
  19. Always so interesting to visit your site. What a great info, thank you for sharing.

    사설토토
    카지노
    파워볼사이트
    온라인카지노

    ReplyDelete
  20. We absolutely love your blog and find almost all of your post’s to be just what I’m looking for.
    Does one offer guest writers to write content for you personally?
    I wouldn’t mind publishing a post or elaborating on a number of the subjects you write with regards to here.
    Again, awesome web log!
    한국야동

    ReplyDelete
  21. https://gamebegin.xyz You may exercise by yourself. A pitching device permits you to established the pace from the ball. By packing several baseballs into the unit, you are able to training striking without the need for a pitcher. This electrical device is ideal for individuals who would like to process baseball by itself. Pitching equipment can be gathered at your local athletic merchandise retail store.

    ReplyDelete
  22. https://gameboot.xyz You can see them on periodicals and so on Television, women and men who appear like their forearms and thighs and legs will explode his or her muscles are extremely large! There is no will need that you can get the body to this levels if you don't desire to, as being the straightforward strategies in this article will enable you to develop muscle mass in the healthy method.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Fantastic site. Lots of helpful information here.

    토토사이트

    ReplyDelete
  24. Wow, great article looking forward to read more.

    릴게임

    ReplyDelete
  25. It’s very informative and you are obviously very knowledgeable content on your site.

    스포츠토토

    ReplyDelete
  26. Captivating post. I Have Been contemplating about this issue, so an obligation of appreciation is all together to post. 안전토토
    Completely cool post.It 's greatly extraordinarily OK and Useful post

    ReplyDelete
  27. It gives immense knowledge on physical education, it is very helpful and quite generous to spread a good message 토토

    ReplyDelete