Saturday, June 1, 2019

US College Grad Underemployed 2019


When elementary and high schools lowered their standards in reading, writing and arithmetic, it produced students with low proficiency in reading, writing and math. In the 1960s, poor students didn’t pass the entrance exams and went to work for lower paying jobs. There were plenty of jobs and these high school grads managed to become self-supporting and some did well. In 1965, 12% of men and 7% of women in the US citizens had a Bachelors’ Degree.

In the 1980s, high schools replaced basics with propaganda and colleges lowered their standards. It fell to Junior Colleges to offer remedial courses to bring low skill high school grads up to speed. When these remedial students applied for college, they got in, but colleges also began to offer courses that were not occupational and students to earn useless majors. In 1985, 23% of men and 16% of women in the US had Bachelors’ Degree.

After the 1980s, colleges spent $billions on buildings to create an attractive campus and colleges became more of a “life experience” than a useful training center.

In 2019, 34.6% of men and 35.3% of women in the US have a Bachelors’ Degree.


The Great Underemployed

Classical Education in Liberal Arts including English, History, Geography, Philosophy, Psychology, Sociology and Theology had been taught along with Mathematics, General Science, Chemistry, Physics and Biology in high school and colleges still offered degrees in these, but sometimes in preparation for graduate studies. Teachers of these Arts & Sciences should hold degrees in these disciplines. These are fields of study need to be taken together in context. History and Economics should be integrated to understand motives and outcomes to assess current events.

Government jobs were the only jobs available from 2008 and 2016 and colleges had millions of students taking Criminal Justice, Public Policy and Law, Family & Consumer Services, Misc. Technologies, Animal and Plant Sciences, Environmental Studies, Political Science, General Social Science, International Affairs, Misc. Biological Science, Earth Science, Early Childhood Education, Misc. Education, Secondary Education, General Education, Special Education and Elementary Education. In 2017, the music stopped and there were fewer chairs to land on.

Healthcare jobs have been building since the 1980s and colleges had millions of students taking Medical Technology, Nutrition Science, Misc. Biological Science, Health Services, Biology, Biochemistry, Pharmacy and Nursing.

Engineering jobs were off-shored with manufacturing jobs after 1993. There were fewer jobs for Engineers, but colleges continued to offer Industrial Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, General Engineering, Architecture, Aerospace Engineering, Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry, Physical Sciences, Computer Science, Information System Management, Construction Services and Engineering Technology,

Business jobs were available and colleges continued to offer degrees in Business Management, General Business, Communications, Marketing, Economics, Business Analytics, Accounting,  Information Systems Management.

Non-Profits arose after the 1990s in response to the Social Engineering fad and colleges offered courses in Ethnic Studies and Environmental Studies.

Artist jobs were always around, but became hobbies rather than self-supporting occupations for most students. But colleges continued to offer degrees in Performing Arts, Fine Arts, Art History, Commercial Art & Graphics Design,

Media jobs were around, but print media declined after the internet became available in 1995. Colleges continued to offer degrees in Journalism, Mass Media, Advertising & Public Relations, Communications,

Resort, Hotel and Restaurant jobs became popular in the 1980s and colleges offered courses in Leisure & Hospitality, but students already worked in these industries as waiters, cooks and other staff jobs.

Agricultural jobs had declined, but colleges still offered courses in Agriculture, Animal & Plant Sciences.
 Percentage of recent college graduates in the United States who are underemployed as of January 2019, by major
Health Services 45.7%

Criminal Justice 73.2%
Performing Arts 65.7%
Leisure and Hospitality 63%
Public Policy and Law 62.8%
Business Management 59.6%
Fine Arts 58.4%
Liberal Arts 58.4%
Misc. Technologies 58%
Animal and Plant Sciences 57.4%
Art History 56.5%
General Business 56.4%
Sociology 56%
Mass Media 55.2%
Agriculture 53.9%
History 53.1%
Communications 53%
Marketing 52.7%
General Social Science 52.3%
Political Science 51.5%
Philosophy 50.9%
Medical Technology 50.9%
English Language 50.6%
Ethnic Studies 50.1%
International Affairs 49.7%
Psychology 49.7%
Environmental Studies 49.3%
Interdisciplinary Studies 48%
Nutrition Science 47.9%
Advertising and Public Relations 47.7%.
Theology and Religion 46.9%
Misc. Biological Sciences 46.5%
Foreign Languages 46.2%
Family and Consumer Services 44.6%
Biology 44.6%
Earth Sciences 43.1%
Journalism 42.5%
Engineering Technology 40.9%
Economics 39.8%
Information Systems Management 38.1%
Business Analytics 37.5%
Finance 37%
Commercial Art Graphics Design 36.2%
Misc. Physical Sciences 35.9%
Chemistry 35.4%
Construction Services 34%
Geography 33.5%
Biochemistry 33.5%
Treatment Therapy 33%
Physics 31.7%
Social Services 31.5%
Mathematics 30.6%
Misc. Engineering 29.4%
Pharmacy 28.7%
Aerospace Engineering 26.8%
Architecture 26.6%
General Engineering 23.5%
Secondary Education 23.5%
Computer Science 23.5%
Accounting 23%
Electrical Engineering 22.3%
General Education 22.2%
Chemical Engineering 21.6%
Mechanical Engineering 21%
Computer Engineering 20.1%
Early Childhood Education 19.2%
Misc. Education 17.5%
Civil Engineering 17.5%
Industrial Engineering 17.3%
Special Education 16.2%
Elementary Education 15.9%
Nursing 11.4%


Many of the Underemployed college grads with Engineering Degrees lack the basic skills required to function in their professions.  Many other college grads received degrees in fields that are not in demand. Many underemployed graduates are no longer interested in working in their professions. Many underemployed graduates are sub-par.

Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader


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