The Link Between Education and Employment in a Recession
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June 12, 2020
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The Link Between Education and Employment in a Recession
Nationwide job loss is one of the most devastating effects of the current pandemic. Experts estimate that the current recession already demonstrates worse unemployment rates than the Great Recession, with less-educated workers still burdened by the majority of these losses. The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) recently conducted a study examining job loss, and the particularly high rates of unemployment among individuals with little to no higher education. Results indicate that nearly 20 million people (aged 25 and over) lost their jobs across the United States. Among them, 80% were workers without bachelor’s or graduate degrees. The study also notes that individuals with higher education degrees typically recover from recessions more easily than those who do not, stating that college-educated people saw continued career growth after the Great Recession while less-educated workers never fully recovered from widespread job losses
Credt: Public Policy Institute of California - Workers Without College Degrees Face Unprecedented Job Losses, May 2020
In California, the data shows similar trends. While unemployment spiked in April 2020, the job losses hit those without college degrees much harder than those with postsecondary degrees.
Source: Employment Development Department.
Note: Changes measured between February and April 2020 and between December 2007 and February 2010.
Another recent PPIC study about California’s economic crisis and widespread unemployment highlighted job losses across California’s industrial sectors, with arts, entertainment & recreation, accommodation & food service, and other service jobs getting hit the hardest.
