Educated Men Are Finding More Degrees Don’t Always Bring More Jobs
Those who have graduate and professional credentials are less likely to be in the labor force than ones with a B.A.
The more education you have, the more likely you are to have a job. This relationship holds true across the U.S. labor market, with one notable exception. In February, 74.6% of men 25 and older with only a bachelor’s degree were employed, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, while just 72.7% of men with advanced degrees were.
This seeming inversion has been present for all but five months over the past five years, which is how far back the data are available. It’s been driven entirely by labor force participation. That is, men with advanced degrees have a lower unemployment rate than those with bachelor’s degrees, but they’re less likely to be in the labor force (either working for pay or actively looking for a job). In February 77.9% of men who hold only bachelor’s degrees were in the labor force, vs. 75% of men with advanced degrees.