Americans without college degrees are experiencing one of their strongest job markets in decades, a striking shift as many young college graduates face increasingly difficult employment prospects, The Wall Street Journal reports.
The unemployment rate for workers ages 22 to 34 who never graduated from college has rarely been lower over the past two decades, according to a new Burning Glass Institute analysis.
The trend marks a departure from much of the past 20 years, when unemployment among younger workers with
and without college degrees generally moved in the same direction. Now, workers without degrees are experiencing some of their strongest employment conditions since 2003, while college graduates are navigating one of their more challenging job markets.Demand for workers in construction, manufacturing, food service, and other occupations requiring physical or in-person labor has helped fuel the shift. Labor shortages in some industries have intensified as older workers retire and immigration declines, the outlet reports.
Meanwhile, college-educated workers are confronting a different
set of pressures. More Americans have earned college degrees, increasing competition for professional positions, while employers are adopting artificial intelligence to perform some tasks traditionally handled by entry-level workers.The divide is particularly pronounced among younger Americans. College-educated workers ages 22 to 34 have experienced worse unemployment conditions during only a handful of periods over the past two decades, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the Great Recession, according to the analysis.
Still, the findings do not mean college graduates have higher
unemployment rates overall. Rather, the institute compared each education group with its own unemployment history since 2003. Degree holders continue to maintain an employment advantage across the broader workforce.For the 12 months ending in July, unemployment among college graduates ages 25 to 54 averaged 2.7%, compared with 3.6% among workers with some college education and 4.7% among those whose highest level of education was a high school diploma, the outlet reports.
The changing labor market comes as employers increasingly reconsider degree
requirements for some positions. Previous Burning Glass Institute research projected that eliminating unnecessary bachelor’s degree requirements could open an additional 1.4 million jobs to workers without college degrees over five years.RELATED CONTENT: This App Helped A Black Freelancer Go From Living Paycheck To Paycheck To Living The Dream