Press

The Fiscal Times: College Grads Are Elbowing Aside Less Educated for Jobs

01.16.2014

Eric Painin, writing for The Fiscal Times, featured recent work by Diana Carew, an economist for PPI, on recent graduates and their struggle to find employment. Painin used Carew’s recent report Jobs and Wages for Young Americans: Is Recovery Coming? to draw attention to the “Great Squeeze” in employment for Young Americans, writing:

“Since 2009, many of the occupations with the fastest employment gains for young people have been lower-skill jobs that typically pay less, according to a new report by economist Diana G. Carew of the Progressive Policy Institute.

Production, health care support and food preparation and serving occupations were the three main occupational groups to see gains for young Americans across all levels of educational attainment. The downside is that all three groups have mean hourly earnings significantly lower than the national average for all occupations.

Notably, young college graduates saw a 15 percent increase in office and administrative employment while more generally employment in this group declined, the report stated. “This is consistent with the argument that young college graduates are struggling with high underemployment,” Carew wrote – and in the process are squeezing their less educated rivals aside.”

Find the full article on The Fiscal Times‘ website here.