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U.S. Cenusu Bureau
Amid all the chatter recently about whether President Barack Obama is a “snob” for wanting Americans to be educated or Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorumis anti-education for critizing Obama, many may have missed an important milestone.
The Census Bureau reported last week that a record 30 percent of Americans ages 25 and older have at least a bachelor’s degree. The data, from March 2011, marks first time ever that such high a proportion of Americans have had at least a four-year degree, and it follows decades of gradually improving higher education rates.
In the long term, experts say, that’s good news for the U.S. economy. After all, the majority of the U.S. economy is service-oriented, and that means many Americans who want to get ahead need to find ways to succeed in white-collar settings. Many also believe a highly educated, innovative workforce is one of several key ingredients succeeding against global competitors.
“The future of the U.S. economy is not assembling the computer. The future of the U.S. economy is coming up with a novel design for a semiconductor that gets into a computer, that will then be assembled in some emerging economy,” said Adolfo Laurenti, deputy chief economist with Mesirow Financial.
And yet, such long-term thinking may not feel so great to the many Americans out there who have a degree but either don’t have the job they want – or don’t have a job at all.
The unemployment rate for college graduates, which stood at 4.2 percent in February, is half the unemployment rate for high school grads but still high by historical norms. Also, although a college degree also generally leads to much higher lifelong earnings, many young grads in particular are feeling squeezed these days by low starting salaries.
“(There are) people who are very disappointed that, yes, they can get a white-collar job but that does not imply the financial success that it used to imply for their father’s generation,” Laurenti said.
In addition, many are burdened by student loan debt from earning that degree.
Another issue that has slowly been gaining attention over the past few years is whether every kid should be aiming to go to college. Manufacturers in particular are increasingly complaining that they can’t find skilled workers to run the more complex, sophisticated factories that are now the norm in America.
These people are calling for a return to the type of vocational training that fell out of favor over the past few decades, amid a push to get more kids to go to college.
Laurenti, the economist, said he is tentatively encouraged by more discussion about how to provide that kind of training to keep those types of factories running. But he thinks high schools need to be doing more to help prepare kids who would do well in those type of skilled factory jobs.
“They are not much interested in people with a bachelor’s degree in political science, but it’s not enough to get people who drop out of high school, either,” he said.
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And of that 30%, 70% of those degrees are in "liberal arts".
Which is good news for those who own fast food franchises.
This reminds me of that old school Soviet disinformation, now all we need is a 7 year plan.
While it's true that so many people have "useless" liberal arts degrees, you also have to keep in mind how many specialized programs REQUIRE a liberal arts degree. For instance Med Schools and Law schools prefer a liberal arts degree over vocational degrees. So people get a liberal arts degree only to not get accepted into these programs, and are then stuck with a useless degree. I have many friends in this circumstance. Luckily for me I planned ahead and got an accounting degree.
if this was true, then Industrial Hemp for farming would be legal in nazi amewica. Currently 30 countries allow for industrial hemp and Amewica imports more than a billion dollars of hemp now,.. Canada and China currently make the most profits from hemp exports. American farmers are being left out... so sorry , amewicans are not more educated than ever...
I wonder how many of these Graduates have degrees in Ethnic Studies,or Women's Studies,or Art History,or Art Studio,or Sports Communications,or ....... Well you get the idea USELESS LIBERAL ARTS DEGREES. Now don't get me wrong. Liberal Arts Degrees are good for Teaching,Reporters,Authors and such. But there is a whole lot of USELESS Degree Programs out there that cost a lot of money and add to the over all cost of Education.
^This. Why is it that at a State University you will pay the same for an Art History degree as I would for an Accounting or Physics degree. Guess who's going to find work after graduation....
You also have to consider why a liberal arts degree is deemed worthless.
Because far more people get those degrees than the demand requires.
And now with all the education what has the U.S. come to be??
So here's the deal. Cost of living has been going up in an amount greater than wages/salaries. Employees demand higher wages to deal with the cost of living going up. Companies move manufacturing overseas to exploit cheaper labor (cost of living is lower in those Countries). People go to college/universities to get higher education so that they can have those traditional "white collar" jobs. The influx of people with degrees into the market means employers can pay less for jobs that are remaining in this Country most of which now require some college. That's the problem we have. The elephant in the room is...why did our cost of living skyrocket so much in the first place?
It is not just cheap labor it is the cost of equipment.
There is a lot of talk about more education being THE answer to unemployment problems....and yet a greater number of the unemployed are more highly educated. The need for employees and their education is limited by the recession and the need for their particular skills. Less business equals fewer jobs, regardless of the education. It seems particularly easy for politicians and media to come up with this easy scapegoat answer that education is the answer and the only solution. If your country is less and less business friendly....those jobs will never be there... Too bad that it is being drilled into students heads that business is the enemy....and evil.
"Americans are now more educated than ever" Yet people continue to watch shows like Teen Mom and the Jersey Shore. Are you really sure the article is accurate?
Educated is not a sign of Intelligence .
And your idea of a replacement?
However, dogma is the counter-sign of intelligence: when you let someone else do your thinking for you.
The problem is that people don't understand that learning is a life-long endeavor.
Tom, no but GPA is; which is how you get your degrees. I can guarantee you that anyone getting above 3.75 in college for the GPA is smart. This is because most of the classes are fairly hard, you have at most three months for one class and in those three months you have to learn all of the subject material and prove that you can apply that knowledge in critical thinking exercises each or every other week.
The ability to critically analyze information is worth more then the ability to score high on a test. To critically analyze you have to understand the information and be able to apply examples for and against that information in a non-biased and correct way. Tests require you to retain knowledge only until the test is over, it does not promote memorization just regurgitation.
We would be a more educated nation if we used the education methodology used in higher education in grade school.
Really? Is this why most people can't spell or write a coherent sentence? They must not teach Geography, History or many other subjects they used to either, right? The level of ignorance that is shown by "the man on the street" is astounding!!!!!
Have you ever spoken to high school students? Like, you know, wow, don't know, seriously?..... Have you seen their writing? Can you even read it? Remember penmanship? Gone.... why? Everyone will have a computer and writing will no longer be needed, at least this is what my son's high school teacher told me some years ago (he's in college now, yes I know, we are snobs, but since he is a voracious reader, he's a good writer and speller), guess they don't know where spell check is.....
People might attend school but they are still ignorant of basic information about the world and culture in general. Newspapers are failing, books are going digital so maybe someone will read them, people are into "ME" so anything that isn't about them doesn't interest them, like the world for instance.
We complain about our inability to compete on the world stage. Our students can't make it in other countries schools, never mind that they for the most part are not bilingual, trilingual or anything.... schools have been made so easy (so kids won't be stressed out I guess), we've dumbed down the teaching plans, teaching is a job not a calling anymore, kids are all "winners", they aren't taught what it is to loose, work hard and overcome their weaknesses since we shouldn't traumatize them, discipline is a thing of the past as is sacrifice.
Failure teaches more than coddling.... let's make our kids strong, smart, flexible and adaptable. Let's teach them practical ideas and energize their imaginations, let's demand they do their work.
You got that correct. When I first enrolled in college, the first English teacher made it very plain, the average person does need to know enough math to figure out they got the correct change back at the store.
However, everyone does communicate with others, and understand English is a necessity. I went on and got my EE degree, along with a liberal arts degree. Both have served me very well so far.
There is a demand for college grads, if your degree is the one companies are looking for. Basket weaving 101 is not in demand. Neither is a degree in woman's studies in demand.
And not everyone is right for college. We need more trade schools, where people can learn by hands on projects, along with basic math, and a little more knowledge of English.
Most construction trades have good learning programs for the apprenticeship programs, and continued education for the journeymen/women. It's time to change the whole educational system in the US.
Americans are now more educated than ever ... holy crap, don't tell Santorum; no doubt his tiny head will explode.
So, your considering the HUGE percentage of college graduates who; can not read, can not explain the argument in an editorial, and who can not do the math to figure which is the better credit card choice, educated!
From what I see of all the college graduates working at Mickey-D's, convenience stores, and retail and service jobs, and who can not make change without the cash register doing it for them, and who are so sensitive that they are humiliated by any perceived affront, the thing that must be the longest and hardest on college students is - third grade!
Not sure you were addressing my comment ... and actually, I don't disagree with you ... you make some valid points which are as much the fault of the educational system as well as the students AND their parents. Not everything can or should be taught in school. I taught my kid how to balance a checkbook, calculate per unit pricing, make informed financial decisions, etc. Having a degree, unfortunately, doesn't make one smart or informed.
Marc, you are correct on that. It also does not make a person have, or use common sense, which should have been learned at home by the parents.
I guess my brothers and sister and I were lucky. Our parents took the time to make sure we studied in school, helped us with homework, and other lessons needed to get by in the real world.
Sadly, I think that is lacking in a lot of homes today. Probably because both parents have to work to make a decent living for them and their children. And those children are the future of our country. Kind of a scary thought when you see some of those children and their behavior.
The americans may have more education but they certainly do not have more knowledge. The SAT scores were lowered so more children could pass. Most of the people from around 40 years of age and younger haven't even mastered the English language. Do not know how to use words or their meanings. For instance, I just read on someone's facebook, "we through a party for the girls and we were to meat at the park". Pretty sad.
How many people on these threads can't determine when to use their, there and/or they're? Or you're and your?
About 99%. Check it out in your newspaper, books, internet, etc. It is pretty interesting.
Having the most highly educated unemployed people in the world is hardly something to be bragging about.
And yet why aren't we all getting paid $50,000 a year for our education, when we have office jobs?
"More Educated," but unfortunately knowledge, common sense and self responsibility are sorely lacking. The term "Educated Derelict" is as old as civilization. Everyone, get a job, support yourself without assistance, then, only then, will we applaud!
Yep, we're the smartest, brokest (student loans), and most unemployed people ever!
Yeah, you folks stay ignorant snd uneducated - repugs can alway use you to pickett planned parenthood. I planned on sending my daughters to college!
de2...yea, but the dems will send out ACORN to get you registered and expect your vote if they give you a couple dollars and a couple cigarettes.....
Yeah but those exorbitant student loans is gonna be the next bubble. Watch your wallets tax payers.
Education is now an industry. The fact that more Americans have a Bach degree does not mean they are more educated. It only means they have spent more time and money on schooling that was spent before.
Someone else stated that a Bach degree today is basically equivalent to a high school diploma from the 60's is probably right.
Now that we have so many Bach degrees in our population, how do we propose that all the loans for that education be paid back? Jobs anyone?
More educated than ever?? If being at the bottom of the list under the rest of the world in Math. Science, Geography, etc, is being MORE educated I would hate to see where we would be if we were LESS educated. What a joke!
And the Repugnicans keep trying to cut education and research at every turn , knowing that REAL education is not a good sign for their voters.
And we can all tell how your education worked for you by how you spell republican. Leftwing brains at work.
My God! You are a real moron, I will do in capital letters so you will MAYBE understand.
REPUGNICAN = REPUGNANT REPUBLICAN. A person with your intellectual level should have caught the irony the first time, fat chance.
Right wing NOBRAINS at work.
You must be the guy who asked me a few years ago, when I was coming from living in Canada for a while, and had Canadian plates: What STATE is Canada?
SO your taking about democrats.
Most don't get a real education in college.
Really?, Really? I have never meet, talked with and listened to so many narrow minded fascists in my life. Colorado is full of these knuckle heads who cannot think for themselves and just spout talking points from some government think tank. Being continually told to talk, eat, drive a certain way is getting old but that is what you get when you graduate fascists every year who have been brainwashed since toodlerhood.
I agree with thatguydownsouth. I had little choices with schools that offered computer networking as a study when i left high school, most just offered computer programming when i started. I ended up dropping out and going to a school that focused on getting industry certifications and really getting me ready to work rather than spending 4 years learning about crap i will never use. I knew i wanted to go into computer networking and wanted to only focus on that instead of wasting 4 years of my life. My decision has paid off extremely well and work for a very good company and make a very good salary. I have some of the industry's top certifications and if i had to interview a person with a college degree vs certifications, the certification guy wins every time as he has more knowledge and has proved he has the knowledge. Jsut by having a degree does not mean that you can do/learn the skills to do the job. Its sad that there are companies out there who wont eve n give you an interview without a college degree, however its their loss. I work for one of the top companies to work for in the US and dont have a college degree, and have never once regretted not getting one.
Certifications are just as much a joke.
Americans have more DEGREES than ever. Degrees (paper) and education are not synonymous. A master plumber, electrician or welder is highly educated in their field, and highly employable. Someone with a college degree may, or may not, be well educated.
Part of the problem is that we require paper as proof of education, when paper only verifies that one has jumped through the relevant academic hoops.
Sorry folks, just because someone has a college/university degree, doesn't make them better educated. If that were the case, why is it, few college grads have any critical thinking skills? This is nonsense!
The article is wrong, the amount of schooling does not equal how educated you are! I never let any schooling get in the way of my education. The Education of rational thinking and common sense far out weighs any "education" from schooling.