Front Page Talking Points

FOR THE WEEK OF APR 30, 2012

1 in 2 new college graduates are jobless or underemployed

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1.gifA graduate's success in finding a good job depends in large part on what the student studied in college. Find newspaper reports on the majors and degrees that are most successful in the job market.

2.gifHow much have college tuition and fees risen in your state? What reasons do college officials cite for tuition increases?

3.gifFind newspaper analysis, columns and editorials about what needs to be done to make higher education both affordable and valuable for average Americans.

A weak labor market has left half of young college graduates either jobless or underemployed in positions that don't fully use their skills and knowledge, according to an analysis of government data conducted for The Associated Press. About 1.5 million, or 53.6 percent, of bachelor's degree-holders under the age of 25 last year were jobless or underemployed, the highest share in at least 11 years.

Broken down by occupation, young college graduates were heavily represented in jobs that require a high school diploma or less. They were more likely to be employed as waiters, waitresses, bartenders and food-service helpers than as engineers, physicists, chemists and mathematicians combined (100,000 versus 90,000). There were more working in office-related jobs such as receptionist or payroll clerk than in all computer professional jobs (163,000 versus 100,000). More also were employed as cashiers, retail clerks and customer representatives than engineers (125,000 versus 80,000).

Along with the prospect of unemployment and dismal pay, many college graduates are saddled with staggering debt from student loans. U.S. student loan debt surpassed credit card debt and auto loans for the first time last year and estimates for the total number of outstanding student loans range up to $1 trillion. In the last 25 years, college tuition and fees increased nearly five times as much as inflation. And, some economists predict the cost of attending state colleges will soar to $120,000 by 2015.

Economist says: "You can make more money on average if you go to college, but it's not true for everybody." -- Richard Freeman, Harvard.

Graduate says: "Everyone is always telling you, 'Go to college.' But when you graduate, it's kind of an empty cliff." -- Kelman Edwards Jr., Middle Tennessee State University

President Obama says: "We only finished paying off our student loans off about eight years ago . . . And that wasn't easy -- especially because when we had Malia and Sasha, we're supposed to be saving up for their college educations, and we're still paying off our college educations."

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Front Page Talking Points is written by Alan Stamm for NIEonline.com, Copyright 2024

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Common Core State Standard
SL.CCS.1/2/3/4 Grades 6-12: An essay of a current news event is provided for discussion to encourage participation, but also inspire the use of evidence to support logical claims using the main ideas of the article. Students must analyze background information provided about a current event within the news, draw out the main ideas and key details, and review different opinions on the issue. Then, students should present their own claims using facts and analysis for support.