Summary
Getting a college degree takes years of study. That effort probably will pay off in the job market, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Bright prospects are expected to continue for college graduates, especially for those who prepare for careers with lots of job openings. To estimate the demand for college graduates between 2004 and 2014, BLS analysts got specific. First, they projected the number of job openings for workers entering each of more than 500 occupations over the decade. Next, analysts estimated how many of these openings would be filled by college graduates. A limitation of this study is that it focuses on the number of job openings projected in an occupation. But job openings give only a partial view of the prospects that workers can expect. Even with its assumptions and limitations, however, there is evidence that the method described here produces accurate results. When existing jobs are separated into educational categories using this method, the results closely match current numbers.
See the full content of this document
Extract
The 2004-14 Job Outlook for College Graduates
Getting a college degree takes years of study. Will that effort pay off in the job market?
It probably will, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Bright prospects are expected to continue for college graduates, especially for those who prepare for careers with lots of job openings.Data consistently show that, on average, college graduates earn more money, experience less unemployment, and have a wider variety of career options than other workers do. A college degree also makes it easier for jobseekers to enter many of the fastest growing, highest paying occupations. What's more, having a degree is the only way to get a start in some careers.Between 2004 and 2014, almost 14 million job openings are projected to be filled by workers who have a bachelor's or higher degree and who are entering an occupation for the first time. Some occupations will offer more openings and bigger paychecks than others will.Keep reading to learn about the benefits of having a college degree and the expected demand for college graduates. Find out which occupations are projected to offer the most job openings for graduates who are entering them for the first time. And learn about the difficulties of measuring the demand for college graduates and the strengths and limitations of this study's methods.In this article, a college graduate is defined as a person who has a bachelor's, master's, o...See the full content of this document
Sponsored links
