Finding A Job That Fits: Study Finds Mismatch Between Education, Job Qualifications

October 30, 2018   |   By Shamane Mills

From Wisconsin Public Radio:

While there’s evidence that getting a college degree pays off in the long run — mainly with a higher income level — education can be expensive and there’s no guarantee that the jobs available upon graduation require the knowledge and skills acquired. A new Urban Institute report looks at the mismatch and finds that nearly two-thirds of jobs require a high school degree or less at entry level. But, 60 percent of people 25 and older have more than a high school education.

WCER labor economist Matías Scaglione tells Wisconsin Public Radio the gap between education and employment could be even greater in some areas because the Urban Institute study didn’t look at labor force participation. "Labor force participation rates for people with bachelor’s degrees or higher are 73 percent, more or less. For those with high school degrees it's 58 percent," Scaglione told WPR. "So that’s why focusing on population can be misleading. We have to focus on labor force and then employment."

Scaglione, who was not involved with the study, said the skills gap has been brewing for a long time. "Basically college degrees have been growing, and college education expanding and then jobs not really being there for all the college graduates," he said.

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