America Might Have Too Many College Graduates

Is the "college bubble" soon to burst? Or will the constant influx of new students into universities have jobs upon graduation? The John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University found that only 49% of graduates from the classes of 2009 to 2011 had found a full-time job within a year of finishing school, compared with 73% for students who graduated in the three years prior.

Stark Differences Between 06-08 Grads & 09-11 Grads

Via online.wsj.com

According to the Economic Policy Institute, a left-leaning think tank, entry-level, college-educated men age 23-29 earned an average $21.68 an hour in 2011, a 7.6% decline from 2000. For women, the corresponding figure fell 6%, to $18.80. Men and women both now earn just a bit more than they did in 1989, when measured in 2011 dollars.

College Tuition Has Steadily Outpaced Inflation And Other Rising Markets For Decades

Via freakonomics.com

"The numbers are in on how much it costs to go to college this year, and (surprise) they’re up again, thanks largely to decreases in state funding and increasing enrollments. The biggest price hikes came in the public sector: An 8.7 percent increase for in-state tuition at public two-year schools, and an 8.3 percent jump in the price of four-year public institutions, for in-state students."

Bachelor's holders, like everyone else, have suffered from much worse joblessness than normal during the recovery. Today, they're still facing 4.1 percent unemployment, well above pre-recession levels.

Via theatlantic.com

"But it's not just an issue of whether college grads are finding work; it's the kind of work some of them are getting that's problematic. Since the recession began, employers have hired more than 700,000 bachelor's holders into what are usually considered middle-education occupations -- jobs where only half to three-quarters of employees have at least some college. Think dental hygienists, cops, and travel agents. Another 185,000 are in low-education positions. Think McDonald's or your neighborhood coffee shop."

What Is It's Impact On Debt?

Why The Rise? What Does The Future Hold?

Hope In Sight

Via businessinsider.com

But it may not be all bad, it seems that having a college degree is still better than the alternative. Mike Shedlock writes in his Business Insider report on college education that "recent high school grads’ unemployment rates are frightening. The Economic Policy Institute study shows that the recent unemployment rate for high school graduates between age 17 and 20 who aren't enrolled in additional schooling is 31.1%. And their underemployment rate is 50.4%." Therefore even though the job prospects may be underwhelming and the pay worse, going to college and finishing your degree will still do more to help you than hurt you. Though it might seem perilous now, the job market is expected to come back and when it does, the jobs that many yearn for, will then be available to them because they endured and in turn will then profit.