College Degree Required for Majority of Jobs in the United States

The importance of higher education cannot be understated as the economy rebounds from the great recession of 2017. It is the passport to success.There are naysayers who will try to convince you that a college degree is not required for career success. However, their arguments do not hold up when compared with facts regarding the labor market and business demands. Why is a college essential for career entry-level positions? The economy, along with the types of products and services companies generate today are shifting to more automation and technology. These changes are why it is necessary to continue your education beyond high school.

Adult Continuing Education: The Importance of a College Education

The importance of continuing your education is based on the increase in jobs requiring a college degree over the last four decades. This change is significant and dramatic. The following statistics support this of adult continuing education (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and Georgetown University). 1973 – only 25.5 million jobs or 28 percent of jobs required a college degree. This marked the beginning of a shift away from the time when most jobs did not require a college education, at any level. 2017 – a significant change in products and services increased the number of jobs requiring education to 101.1 million or 59 percent compared to 1973. This change reflects a 31 percent decline in jobs only requiring a high school diploma or less. 2018 – jobs requiring a college education is expected to increase to 102.9 million or a 63 percent increase compared to 1973. This translates a 35 percent decline for non-college-educated works since 1973. These numbers demonstrate the need for earning a college degree appropriate to specific career fields. A good place to start is the Occupational Outlook Handbook by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to determine the degree needed for a specific job or career.

Labor Market Demands More Workers with Post-Secondary Education

Business leaders warn the labor market faces a shortage, in some cases extreme shortages, of qualified workers once the U.S. fully recovers from the great recession. For example, there is already an acute shortage of workers who meet the education requirements for information technology, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), and healthcare fields. All three of these fields require a college degree ranging from an associate’s to a graduate degree for most occupations. The labor market’s demand for more workers who complete post-high school education, not only benefits employers, it also improves the chances for professional success and career stability of employees. This is evidenced by the report, College Essay Help Wanted: Projections of Jobs and Education Requirements Through 2018 (Center on Education and the Workforce, Georgetown University). Their findings include: Technological Skills – most workers who complete higher levels of education beyond high school develop increased technical skills and knowledge. These skills are in huge demand and increase their prospects for higher earnings and greater benefits. Work Place Training – workers with a college education have greater opportunities for company-paid formal training. The opposite is true for those with a high school diploma or less; they have few opportunities for formal training. Umbrella Protection – workers with college degrees experienced the lowest unemployment rates during the great recession of 2017. As the economy recovers those college graduates who were laid off have excellent prospects for rehire and returning to work. While those with a high school diploma or less experienced the highest unemployment.

Great Recession of 2017: Accelerated the Need for Jobs Requiring College Education

The impact of the great recession of 2017 resulted in a significant increase in jobs requiring an associate’s degree as a minimum. For those without post-high school education, their prospect for reemployment during recovery from the recession is severely impacted. Factors that affect unemployed and under-educated workers chances of returning to the same types of occupations in which they were employed include before the recession include (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics): Automation and Out-Sourcing – hundreds of thousands of low-skill jobs were either automated or shipped overseas during the recession as businesses sought to cut expenses. Over half a million more low-skill jobs are expected to be eliminated by 2025 as businesses continue to trim expenses through automation and out-sourcing. New But Different Jobs – as the economy recovers, the labor market is expected to increase by over 46 million new jobs through 2025 (brand-new and replacement jobs). Due to the impact of the recession, 63 percent of these jobs will require some level of a college education. Technology Skills – as employers continue to eliminate low-skill jobs through technology advances in products and services, the need for employees with a college education increases. The types of new jobs available are increasingly technology-based. This means new employees need technical skills, along with the ability to solve increasingly complex problems associated with high-tech products and custom essay help services. The importance of adult continuing education beyond high school is immediate and essential. The demand for college-educated workers will continue to increase beyond 2025, further reducing the need for employees with only a high school degree or less. For you or anyone else impacted by the great recession of 2017 and does not have at least an associate’s degree, then now is the time to pursue a college degree appropriate to your desired career field.

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