In May 2024, about 4.5 percent of recent college graduates were unemployed in the United States. This was a significant decrease from September 2020, when the unemployment rate among recent college graduates was at nine percent.

In 2024, around 6.2 percent of people aged 25 and older who had less than a high school diploma, were unemployed. After relatively high levels of unemployment across all education groups in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, unemployment levels have decreased in the subsequent years. The monthly unemployment rate in the U.S. can be accessed here and the unemployment rate for each U.S. state can be accessed here.

As of February 2025, *** percent of recent college graduates who majored in Anthropology were unemployed in the United States. *** percent of recent college graduates who majored in physics were also unemployed.

The employment and unemployment indicator shows several data points. The first figure is the number of people in the labor force, which includes the number of people who are either working or looking for work. The second two figures, the number of people who are employed and the number of people who are unemployed, are the two subcategories of the labor force. The unemployment rate is a calculation of the number of people who are in the labor force and unemployed as a percentage of the total number of people in the labor force.

The unemployment rate does not include people who are not employed and not in the labor force. This includes adults who are neither working nor looking for work. For example, full-time students may choose not to seek any employment during their college career, and are thus not considered in the unemployment rate. Stay-at-home parents and other caregivers are also considered outside of the labor force, and therefore outside the scope of the unemployment rate.

The unemployment rate is a key economic indicator, and is illustrative of economic conditions in the county at the individual scale.

There are additional considerations to the unemployment rate. Because it does not count those who are outside the labor force, it can exclude individuals who were looking for a job previously, but have since given up. The impact of this on the overall unemployment rate is difficult to quantify, but it is important to note because it shows that no statistic is perfect.

The unemployment rates for Champaign County, the City of Champaign, and the City of Urbana are extremely similar between 2000 and 2023.

All three areas saw a dramatic increase in the unemployment rate between 2006 and 2009. The unemployment rates for all three areas decreased overall between 2010 and 2019. However, the unemployment rate in all three areas rose sharply in 2020 due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The unemployment rate in all three areas dropped again in 2021 as pandemic restrictions were removed, and were almost back to 2019 rates in 2022. However, the unemployment rate in all three areas rose slightly from 2022 to 2023.

This data is sourced from the Illinois Department of Employment Security’s Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), and from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Sources: Illinois Department of Employment Security, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS); U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

U.S. Higher Education Market size was valued at USD 101165.92 USD Million in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 176174.98 USD Million by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 7.18% during the forecast period 2024-2031.

U.S. Higher Education Market Drivers

The market drivers for the U.S. Higher Education Market can be influenced by various factors. These may include:

Demographics: Shifts in the population's composition and size of the college-age population have an impact on the demand for higher education.

Economic Conditions: A person's desire to pursue higher education and their capacity to pay for it are influenced by a number of economic factors, such as income levels, unemployment rates, and the general health of the economy.

Technological Innovations: These include online learning environments, virtual classrooms, and adaptive learning technologies, which have an impact on how higher education is delivered.

Government Funding and Policies: The higher education industry is greatly impacted by changes to government funding and policy, including financial aid programs and rules pertaining to student loans and accreditation.

Globalization: As more students from outside pursue higher education in the United States and American universities broaden their global reach, there is a corresponding increase in the demand for higher education.

job Market Trends: Higher education institutions' program offerings and enrollment trends are influenced by the job market's need for particular skills and credentials.

Competitive Landscape: Innovation and advancements in higher education offerings are fueled by competition among schools and universities, which includes rivalry for students, faculty, research funds, and rankings.

Social and Cultural Factors: The higher education market is shaped by shifting societal attitudes regarding education, cultural views of the value of higher education, and changing preferences for various educational experiences.

This statistic illustrates the leading reasons for employment among students during college years in the United States from 2013 to 2020. During the 2020 survey, ** percent of respondents reported that they need a job for personal income.

See notice below about this dataset

This dataset provides the average earnings by student group per district.  Wage records are obtained from the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) using a secure, anonymized matching process with limitations. For details on the process and suppression rules, please visit the Employment and Earnings of High School Graduates dashboard.

This dataset is one of three containing the same data that is also published in the Employment and Earnings of High School Graduates dashboard: Average Earnings by Student Group Average Earnings by Industry College and Career Outcomes

2025 Update on DESE Data on Employment and Earnings 

The data link between high school graduates and future earnings makes it possible to follow students beyond high school and college into the workforce, enabling long-term evaluation of educational programs using workforce outcomes.

While DESE has published these data in the past, as of June 2025 we are temporarily pausing updates due to an issue conducting the link that was brought to our attention in 2023 by a team of researchers. The issue impacts the earnings information for students who never attended a postsecondary institution or who only attended private or out-of-state colleges or universities, beginning with the 2017 high school graduation cohort, with growing impact in each successive high school graduation cohort.

The issue does not impact the earnings information for students who attended a Massachusetts public institution of higher education, and earnings data for those students will continue to be updated.

Once a solution is found, the past cohorts of data with low match rates will be updated. DESE and partner agencies are exploring linking strategies to maximize the utility of the information.

More detailed information can be found in the attached memo provided by the research team from the Annenberg Institute. We thank them for calling this issue to our attention.

This statistic shows the areas where U.S. college students were employed if they worked during their studies in 2016. According to the survey, the food and retail industries were popular employment destinations with students, with ** percent of students working in each industry.

This pie chart illustrates the distribution of degrees among PERM graduates from Employment Solutions-College for Technical Education. The chart categorizes the percentages of Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral degrees, showcasing the educational composition of students who have pursued permanent residency through their qualifications at Employment Solutions-College for Technical Education. This visualization aids in understanding the diversity of educational backgrounds that contribute to the PERM applications, reflecting the school’s role in supporting students’ transitions to permanent residency in the U.S. Data is updated annually to reflect the most recent graduate outcomes.

This statistic shows college majors with the highest unemployment rates in the United States between 2009 and 2012. The rate of unemployment for students with an international business major stood at 12.3 percent in 2012.

Beschreibung der Arbeits- und Ausbildungssituation von Jugendlichen. Einstellung zur europäischen Vereinigung. Themen: Lebenszufriedenheit und Demokratiezufriedenheit im Lande; eigene Meinungsführerschaft; Häufigkeit politischer Diskussionen; Kenntnis des europäischen Krebsbekämpfungsprogramms; wichtigste persönliche Interessen; Einsatzbereitschaft bezüglich ausgewählter gesellschaftlicher und politischer Ziele; Erziehungsziele; wichtigste Probleme junger Menschen; Zugehörigkeit zu ausgewählten politischen, gesellschaftlichen Sport- und Freizeitorganisationen; Fremdsprachenkenntnisse; benutzte Sprache zuhause; Herkunft der Sprachkenntnisse; Wichtigkeit von Sprachkenntnissen; Beurteilung des Lernangebots von Fremdsprachen; Gründe für das Erlernen weiterer Sprachen; Kenntnisse über die Europäische Gemeinschaft; Interesse an mehr Wissen; EG-Wissen aus der Schule; Auslandsaufenthalte als Tourist und als Beschäftigter; Teilnahme an internationalen Jugendaustauschprogrammen und besuchte Länder; besuchte EG-Länder; präferierte EG-Länder zum Arbeiten bzw. Studieren; Hauptprobleme eines Auslandsaufenthalts; Zusammenwohnen mit den Eltern oder Freunden; Zufriedenheit in ausgewählten Lebenssituationen; Mitgliedschaft in einer Jugendorganisation; präferierte Informationsquellen; perzipierte Diskriminierung von ausgewählten Gruppen Jugendlicher; erfahrene eigene Diskriminierung; finanzielle Situation; Einkommensquellen; Computerkenntnisse; Herkunft dieser Computerkenntnisse; Interesse an weiteren Computerkenntnissen; Bezugspersonen, Bezugsgruppen bei wichtigen Lebensentscheidungen; Bewertung der Hilfe von öffentlichen Stellen und perzipierte Hauptschwierigkeiten; Häufigkeit der Inanspruchnahme dieser Stellen und Initiator des Kontakts; Kenntnis von Informationsstellen für junge Menschen, die von jungen Menschen geleitet werden; Kenntnis und Bewertung der EG-Kommission; Einstellung zur Europäischen Gemeinschaft; Einschätzung der Geschwindigkeit der europäischen Vereinigung; Einstellung zur EG-Mitgliedschaft des eigenen Landes; Bewertung des europäischen Binnenmarktes hinsichtlich ausgewählter ökonomischer und politischer Aspekte; Befürwortung weitergehen der Vereiningungsmaßnahmen; Vorteile oder Nachteile durch EG-Mitgliedschaft; Bedauern eines angenommenen Scheiterns der EG; perzipierte Veränderungen im Verhältnis der EG-Länder untereinander während der letzten 12 Monate; Einstellung zu den USA; Bewertung der US-Politik hinsichtlich der europäischen Vereinigung; Bedeutung der Bindungen zwischen USA und EG und Bewertung der Entwicklung in den letzten 10 Jahren; Selbsteinschätzung auf Rechts-Links-Kontinuum; Einstellung gegenüber gesellschaftlichen Veränderungen; Parteiidentifikation. Schüler und Studenten wurden gefragt: Studium eines gewünschten Faches; Gründe für Studium; Wahl des Studienfachs; vermutetes Alter bei Studienende; Art der Studieneinrichtung oder Hochschule. Halb- oder Ganztagsbeschäftigte wurden zusätzlich gefragt: Haupt- oder Teilzeitbeschäftigung und Wochenarbeitszeit; Gründe für Teilzeitbeschäftigung; Weiterbildungsmöglichkeiten am Arbeitsplatz; Art der Arbeitsplatzfindung; Arbeitszufriedenheit; aktuelle Beschäftigungsdauer; Anzahl der bisherigen Beschäftigungen; Häufigkeit der Arbeitslosigkeit seit Schulende; Gewerkschaftsmitgliedschaft und Gründe für eine Nichtmitgliedschaft. In Ausbildung befindliche wurden zusätzlich gefragt: bisherige Dauer der beruflichen Ausbildung; detaillierte Angaben zur Berufsausbildung. Alle, die nicht mehr in Schule oder Universität sind, wurden gefragt: Dauer der allgemeinen Weiterbildung nach Beendigung der Schulpflicht; Gründe für einen Ausbildungsabbruch; Aufnahme und Abschluss einer bzw. mehrerer beruflicher Weiterbildungsmaßnahmen; zeitliche Gesamtdauerdieser Maßnahmen; Angaben zu Ausbildungsniveau, Nutzen und perzipierte Hilfe bei der Arbeitsplatzsuche durch diese Weiterbildungsmaßnahmen; Schulabschluss; Zusatzqualifikationen durch Weiterbildungsmaßnahmen. Bei Arbeitslosen: Dauer und Art der Arbeitsplatzsuche; Hauptgrund für Arbeitslosigkeit. Demographie: Alter; Geschlecht; Familienstand; Schulbildung; Beruf; Betriebsgröße; Haushaltseinkommen; Haushaltsgröße; Haushaltszusammensetzung; Befragter ist Haushaltsvorstand; Charakteristika des Haushaltsvorstands; Parteipräferenz; Wahlverhalten bei der letzten nationalen Wahl; Ortsgröße; Urbanisierungsgrad; Region; Postmaterialismus; Selbsteinstufung auf einem Links-Rechts-Kontinuum; Einstellung zum gesellschaftlichen Wandel; Parteiverbundenheit. In Dänemark wurde zusätzlich gefragt: Kenntnis der EG-Präsidentschaft des Landes und empfundene Bedeutung für Dänemark. Description of the work and training situation of young people. Attitude to European unification. Topics: Contentment with life and satisfaction with democracy in the country; personal opinion leadership; frequency of political discussions; postmaterialism; knowledge about the European program to combat cancer; most important personal interests; readiness for action regarding selected social and political goals; educational goals; most important problems of young people; belonging to selected political, social, sport and leisure organizations; knowledge of foreign languages; language used at home; origin of language proficiency; importance of language proficiencies; judgment on the offerings to learn foreign languages; reasons for learning further languages; knowledge about the European Community; interest in more knowledge; EC knowledge from school; stays abroad as tourist and as employee; participation in international youth exchange programs and countries visited; EC countries visited; preferred EC countries for work or study; major problems of a stay abroad; living together with parents or friends; satisfaction in selected situations in life; membership in a youth organization; preferred sources of information; perceived discrimination against selected groups of young people; experienced personal discrimination; financial situation; sources of income; computer knowledge; origin of this computer knowledge; interest in further computer knowledge; reference persons, reference group with important life decisions; evaluation of the help of public agencies and perceived main difficulties; frequency of utilization of these positions and initiator of contact; knowledge of sources of information for young people run by young people; knowledge and evaluation of the EC Commission; attitude to the European Community; assessment of the speed of European unification; attitude to EC membership of one´s own country; evaluation of the European domestic market regarding selected economic and political aspects; approval of further unification measures; advantages or disadvantages from EC membership; regret of a hypothetical failure of the EC; perceived changes in the relationship of the EC countries among one another during the last 12 months; attitude to the USA; evaluation of US policies regarding European unification; significance of ties between the USA and the EC and evaluation of development in the last 10 years; self-assessment on a right-left continuum; attitude regarding social changes; party identification. The following questions were posed to schoolchildren and students: study of a desired subject; reasons for studies; selection of the subject; assumed age at end of studies; type of study facility or college. The following questions were posed to part-time or full-time employed: full or part-time occupation and time worked each week; reasons for part-time employment; further education opportunities at work; manner of finding job; work satisfaction; current duration of employment; number of previous employments; frequency of unemployment since end of school; union membership and reasons for non-membership. The following questions were also posed to those in training: length of occupational training up to now; detailed information on occupational training. The following questions were posed to all no longer in school or university: length of general further education after conclusion of required school; reasons for breaking off training; taking up and conclusion of one or more occupational measures for further education; total time duration of these measures; information on training level, benefit and perceived help in the search for work from these measures for further education; school degree; supplemental qualifications through measures for further education. The following questions were posed to unemployed: length and manner of search for work; major reason for unemployment. Demography: self-classification on a left-right continuum; attitude to social change; party allegiance. The following questions were also posed in Denmark: knowledge about the EC presidency of the country and perceived significance for Denmark.

This statistic shows college majors with the highest employment rates in the United States as of 2009. 100 percent of geological and geophysical engineering students were employed following their degree. 100 percent of military technology students were also employed following their degree.

This statistic shows college majors with the highest full time employment rates. 99 percent of genetics students went on to full time employment after completing their degree in the United States in 2009.95 percent of mechanical engineering students went on to full time employment in their field following completion of their degree.

The number of unemployed youth worldwide decreased gradually from 2010 to 2019, but then increased in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. As of 2025, there were an estimated 66.94 million unemployed youths between 15 and 24 years worldwide. Highest youth unemployment globally The countries with the highest rates of youth not in education, employment, or training (NEET) include Niger, Kiribati, Guyana, Somalia, and Afghanistan. While there is geographic diversity in this group, each of these countries is either low-income or low-middle income. Moreover, each has their own set of challenges contributing to high NEET rates. For example, in Afghanistan, this can be attributed to conflict and the 2021 Taliban takeover. In Kiribati and other Pacific Island nations, they face high levels of brain drain to larger economies such as Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. Lowest youth unemployment globally On the contrary, countries with the lowest youth NEET rates include Japan, the Netherlands, Sweden, Iceland, and Malta. Factors such as well-structured vocational training programs and affordable university education contribute to low NEET rates. However, these countries still face their own challenges. For example, one contributing factor to such low NEET rates in Japan is the overall shrinkage of the Japanese population, which is simultaneously aging. While unemployment remains low in the country, it faces the potential crisis of not having enough people to support the labor market.

As per the Periodic Labour Force Survey of 2024, the unemployment rate among individuals with secondary education and above was 7.1 percent, the highest among other levels of education. Although the unemployment rate within this category fell from the previous financial year. Potential of the education sectorIndia's education sector is estimated to be valued at around 117 billion U.S. dollars, and it is expected to grow to 225 billion U.S. dollars by 2025. It is a growing trend for many young Indians to attain two or three degrees in the hope of attaining a job. One of the largest young populations in the world presents a unique opportunity for the country in the education sector. Educated unemployed Youth unemployment in India was over 15 percent in 2023. This is despite the abundance of highly educated professionals. The data suggests a sharp mismatch between the skills of the labor force and job creation. The lack of jobs in the non-farm sector for the newly graduated young population is a major cause of worry for the Indian economy.

In 2023, the employment rate of persons with a disability in the labor force who had a Bachelor's degree or higher was 31.3 percent in the United States. However, only 10.6 percent of people that had less than a high school diploma and had a disability were employed in 2023. The disability section of the Current Population Survey (CPS) is a set of six questions to identify persons have physical, mental, or emotional conditions that cause serious difficulty with their daily activities.

The statistic shows the distribution of the workforce across economic sectors in the United States from 2013 to 2023. In 2023, 1.57 percent of the workforce in the US was employed in agriculture, 19.34 percent in industry and 79.09 percent in services. See U.S. GDP per capita for more information. American workforce A significant majority of the American labor force is employed in the services sector, while the other sectors, industry and agriculture, account for less than 20 percent of the US economy. However, the United States is among the top exporters of agricultural goods – the total value of US agricultural exports has more than doubled since 2000. A severe plunge in the employment rate in the US since 1990 shows that the American economy is still in turmoil after the economic crisis of 2008. Unemployment is still significantly higher than it was before the crisis, and most of those unemployed and looking for a job are younger than 25; youth unemployment is a severe problem for the United States, many college or university graduates struggle to find a job right away. Still, the number of employees in the US since 1990 has been increasing slowly, with a slight setback during and after the recession. Both the number of full-time and of part-time workers have increased during the same period. When looking at the distribution of jobs among men and women, both project the general downward trend. A comparison of the employment rate of men in the US since 1990 and the employment rate of women since 1990 shows that more men tend to be employed than women.

In 2024, a record high of around ***** million students graduated from undergraduate programs at public colleges and universities in China. That number was more than double as high as the number of degrees earned at all levels of higher education in the United States. The vast number of graduates from Chinese universities originates from the increasing enrollment in colleges and universities across the country. Of the ***** million Chinese graduates of 2023, around **** million earned a bachelor's degree, whereas **** million earned a more practically oriented short-cycle degree. On a graduate and postgraduate level, around *** million master's and doctor's degree students graduated from public colleges and universities in China in 2023. What are the popular majors? In recent years, the most favored majors among Chinese bachelor students were *********************************************, while short-cycle degree students chose majors such as *****************************************************************. Meanwhile, ****************************************************************************************************** were among the least desirable subjects. However, even the popular, highly competitive fields of study do not always guarantee quick and successful employment after graduation. What are the labor market prospects for graduates? The graduate employment rate within half a year after graduation has been generally stable in China over the past seven years, exceeding ** percent on average. Those that struggle to find a job are usually graduates from less technical, quantitative majors who often lack both practical “hard skills” and “soft skills” such as communication, critical thinking, and managerial abilities. ********************************************** top employment rates as well as secure higher-starting salaries. The average monthly salary of a university graduate in China has increased by around ** percent in the last ten years. However, high rent and costs of living in cities like Beijing or Shanghai often force young graduates to return to their hometowns or to seek employment in the second and third tier cities.