Jobless Rates Vary by Major

In another recent article in the Post-Dispatch, the author discusses how the rate of unemployment varies widely by what your degree is in. This is interesting, because it wasn't necessarily something I considered when I decided to major in journalism for my bachelor's degree. 

Maybe I should have pursued a career in teaching, seeing as how the jobless rate for those types of majors is down to 5.4%. According to the research cited in the article, the jobless rate is highest among liberal arts majors, while it's lowest among majors that align with occupations (like engineering). 


It also makes sure to mention that the jobless rate among bachelor degree holders is at 5% while it is at 3% for graduate degree holders. It mentions that sometimes the best thing to do when unemployment rates spike is to go to graduate school to make yourself more marketable. This is actually part of the reason I chose to attend graduate school. 


Below is taken from the article:

Here are some unemployment rates and average earnings for recent grads:

Architecture; 9.2 percent jobless, $36,000

Fine arts: 12.6 percent jobless, $30,000

Theater: 7.8 percent jobless, $26,000

Business; 7 percent jobless, $37,000

Accounting; 6.8 percent jobless, $43,000

Hospitality management; 9.1 percent jobless, $32,000

Journalism; 7.7 percent jobless, $32,000

Information systems; 11.7 percent jobless, $43,000

Computer science; 7.8 percent jobless, $50,000

Math; 6.1 percent jobless, $40,000

Education:  6 percent jobless, $34,000

Electrical engineer; 7.3 percent jobless, $57,000

Nurse; 4 percent jobless, $48,000

English; 9.2 percent jobless, $32,000

Philosophy and religion; 10.8 percent jobless, $30,000

History; 10.2 percent jobless, $32,000

Chemistry; 6.6 percent jobless, $32,000

Economics; 9.4 percent, $48,000