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Economy
Report finds 52% of recent college grads working in fast food, retail and other ‘underemployed' jobs
2024-03-06
[WashTimes] Americans have long viewed a four-year college degree as essential to financial success, but a report finds that most graduates can’t find a job requiring a degree within a year of commencement.

The nonprofit Strada Institute for the Future of Work and the Burning Glass Institute reported this month that 52% of graduates were "underemployed" in food service, hospitality, retail sales, office administration and other fields a year after earning a bachelor’s degree. The study analyzed federal statistics, job postings and online resumes of more than 60 million U.S. workers.

Ten years after graduation, 45% still didn’t hold a job requiring college-level skills. By contrast, 79% of graduates who started their careers with college-level jobs still had such work five years later.
Posted by:Frank G

#24  Re #22: I spent the summer after my freshman year working a plastics injection molding factory. It was hot, I had to stand for eight hours, it was boring. My dad had done similar work for years.
That summer convinced me that I was going to finish my degree in math/computer science if it freaking killed me. Luckily my grades were good enough that it wasn't a problem.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia   2024-03-06 19:13  

#23  #22 one summer roofing job while college in the GA heat convinced me.

But I did admire the skill it took those dudes to climb ladders with 75lbs of shingles slung on each shoulder while downing miller ponies
Posted by: Beavis   2024-03-06 18:46  

#22  Eldest son son got back from Afg, got a degree in finance, and is currently a cop. Got his master's, and is trying to work towards his CPA, because "I ain't gonna be a cop forever."
Posted by: ed in texas   2024-03-06 16:01  

#21  ^ Working a summer in a soft drink bottling plant while in high school made me completely certain I did not want to do factory work for the rest of my life.
Posted by: M. Murcek   2024-03-06 14:51  

#20  I also think a point of failure is that a potential college student should have at least 6 months employed in a shit job, like dishwasher or register worker, lawn care, etc. as knowledge, self worth, and motivation.

I think the government COVID measures absolutely wrecked this process.
Posted by: swksvolFF   2024-03-06 14:48  

#19  *disclaimer - Wild Ass Guess ensuing:
**By groomed I mean there is a nice feathered job already marked for them, by whatever connection, so long as they get a degree at the right university without hugely embarrassing themself.

I'll go with 10% of female grads were already groomed into a vocation, 20% made it on their own, and 70% are overeducated employees. 20/30/50 for males.

Not playing Its a Man's World, what I'm playing is I have a strong feeling that High School Faculty is putting immense pressure on female students to go straight to Big Name University, many of whom would benefit from a year in the workforce as assistant to the 25 year old barista who holds a degree which had been her high school councilor's recommended collegiate degree choice.

Others, pressured into STEM education who were either not genuinely interested, lacked the aptitude, or lacked the necessary discipline for the field in order to pad numbers.

I put the skew on the last 10 years on the grrlz can do it better movement.
Posted by: swksvolFF   2024-03-06 14:25  

#18  Starbucks
Posted by: Skidmark   2024-03-06 14:15  

#17  Final Dartmouth students drop hunger strike meant to force school to cut ties with Israel and Starbucks: 'My life was literally at risk' [after 11 days]

Why Starbucks?
Posted by: Grom the Reflective   2024-03-06 13:08  

#16  ^It's worse than you think - google "Grammarly"
Posted by: Grom the Reflective   2024-03-06 12:03  

#15  Perhaps the overeducated at Washington Times could be a bit curious and look into all the overeducated kids serving TV Dinners at premium prices, or can't make change without the machine, or don't have the body to deliver packages, what their degree/extent of university time are, and then again by gender?

The online resume providers know. And this is written at a, what used to be, at most a 5th grade level. Making 'reporter' not a college level vocation.
Posted by: swksvolFF   2024-03-06 11:55  

#14  ^Nope. Men are just made feel unwelcome. Also women have higher grades because high school materials are female mentality oriented.
Posted by: Grom the Reflective   2024-03-06 11:48  

#13  So all this hand-wringing about men not going to college and getting degrees as much as women do is just further proof that men can figure these things out faster than women can?
Posted by: Tom   2024-03-06 11:19  

#12  fed should stop all funding of 'higher ed' and fund tuition for trade schools to be repaid from wages after matriculation.
Posted by: irish rage boy   2024-03-06 11:14  

#11  /\ Heating and Air Conditioning (HVAC) might be a good place to start.
Posted by: Besoeker   2024-03-06 11:04  

#10  Learn a trade kids. Elite's have trouble changing a lightbulb. Learn a trade and charge them the most you can get for your useful knowledge.
Posted by: Black Charlie McGurque1103   2024-03-06 10:55  

#9  I know quite a few electricians and plumbers who started in the 70’s, owned their own business, retiring out as multi millionaires.
A few have homes in the Midwest, lakefront properties, and Florida condos all paid for.
No reason to doubt future generations of tradesmen couldn’t do same.
Posted by: Itsoktobewhite   2024-03-06 10:33  

#8  I so move that 'underemployed' be recognized as 'overeducated'.

There is an implement dealer and service who partnered with a community college, depending upon how much time student pledges to be an employee after graduation, the company picks up more of the education tab so long as student takes and completes successfully certain trade classes.
Posted by: swksvolFF   2024-03-06 10:31  

#7  Farrier Science (horse shoeing), speaking from experience in all fairness it's hard to find a good farrier these days and has been for quite a while.
Posted by: Deacon Blues   2024-03-06 09:56  

#6  This is why it's important to also consider those icky specialized manufacturing and construction trades.

Those kids make a decent wage while learning and, when fully trained and qualified, make really good wages. A lot of the mid-20's 'qualified' folks at our construction industry company, with overtime, earn near or in the six digits during a typical year.
Posted by: Mullah Richard   2024-03-06 09:03  

#5  Ref #3: That was not a job, that was a calling. Yes, the SOS on whole wheat and scrambled eggs please.
Posted by: Besoeker   2024-03-06 07:26  

#4  
Posted by: M. Murcek   2024-03-06 07:02  

#3  Wasn't really much better in '73. I and one other student standing in the college of humanities graduation line were the only ones with jobs lined up immediately after the ceremony. Both of us were in uniform.
Posted by: Procopius2k   2024-03-06 06:52  

#2  

When a person gets a degree in:
* Adventure Education,
* Cannabis Cultivation,
* Bag piping,
* The Beatles history,
* The Bowling Industry,
* Bicycle Design and Fabrications,
* Farrier Science (horse shoeing),
* Bassoon (playing a 19th century instrument),
* Story Telling,

With minors in:
Tree Climbing, Getting Dressed, South Park studies, Zombie control, Memeology,


One does tend to limit their career opportunities.
Posted by: NN2N1   2024-03-06 05:49  

#1  Yea, well, too bad.
Posted by: Grom the Reflective   2024-03-06 00:51  

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