America's newest college graduates were sold the college premium. Four in 10 of them are working jobs that never needed the diploma.
About 42% of recent college graduates, ages 22 to 27, were underemployed in June, working jobs that typically don't require a bachelor's degree, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York's tracker of the labor market for recent college graduates. That's up from 41.8% in May but down from 42.4% in November 2025 and below the pandemic-era high of 43.4% in October 2020.
Unemployment is the other half of the problem. Recent grads' jobless rate hit 5.7% in June, well above the 4.1% rate for all workers. That's a reversal. From 1990, when the Fed's data begins, through 2018, recent grads were more likely to be unemployed than the average worker in just eight months. They have been more likely every month since January 2021. The gap hit a record 1.8 percentage points in April 2025 and is still near it.
Some degrees fare much worse than others. Using 2024 Census data, the Fed's breakdown by college major found criminal justice had the most underemployment, at 65.8%, followed by performing arts at 63.9% and fine arts at 58.9%.
On unemployment, computer engineering was second-worst of any major at 7.8%, and computer science fourth at 7%. Education majors fared best: special education had a 0.7% jobless rate and elementary education 1.2%. Nursing was 2.1%.
#recent #Education #june #grads
About 42% of recent college graduates, ages 22 to 27, were underemployed in June, working jobs that typically don't require a bachelor's degree, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York's tracker of the labor market for recent college graduates. That's up from 41.8% in May but down from 42.4% in November 2025 and below the pandemic-era high of 43.4% in October 2020.
Unemployment is the other half of the problem. Recent grads' jobless rate hit 5.7% in June, well above the 4.1% rate for all workers. That's a reversal. From 1990, when the Fed's data begins, through 2018, recent grads were more likely to be unemployed than the average worker in just eight months. They have been more likely every month since January 2021. The gap hit a record 1.8 percentage points in April 2025 and is still near it.
Some degrees fare much worse than others. Using 2024 Census data, the Fed's breakdown by college major found criminal justice had the most underemployment, at 65.8%, followed by performing arts at 63.9% and fine arts at 58.9%.
On unemployment, computer engineering was second-worst of any major at 7.8%, and computer science fourth at 7%. Education majors fared best: special education had a 0.7% jobless rate and elementary education 1.2%. Nursing was 2.1%.
#recent #Education #june #grads
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