Are Recent College Graduates Finding Good Jobs?
8 Pages Posted: 13 Jan 2014
Date Written: January 1, 2014
Abstract
According to numerous accounts, the Great Recession has left many recent college graduates struggling to find jobs that utilize their education. However, a look at the data on the employment outcomes for recent graduates over the past two decades suggests that such difficulties are not a new phenomenon: individuals just beginning their careers often need time to transition into the labor market. Still, the percentage who are unemployed or “underemployed” — working in a job that typically does not require a bachelor’s degree — has risen, particularly since the 2001 recession. Moreover, the quality of the jobs held by the underemployed has declined, with today’s recent graduates increasingly accepting low-wage jobs or working part-time.
Keywords: college graduates, labor market, underemployment, unemployment, Great Recession
JEL Classification: J20, J24, J64
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation