Young American / Where the Jobs Are and Aren’t

In three regions – the upper Midwest, New England and the area around Washington – the job market for younger adults is considerably stronger than in the rest of the country. These three regions are the closest thing to an exception to the trend I described in a Sunday column: the sharp decline in employment rates for adults 25 to 34 years old. Whereas the United States had perhaps the highest employment rate for this age group among large, wealthy economies in 2012, it has one of the lowest today.

When you look at the three regions that are doing better, you quickly notice they are among the country’s best educated. According to the Census Bureau, the 10 states with the greatest share of bachelor’s degree holders are, in descending order: Massachusetts, Colorado. Maryland, Connecticut, New Jersey, Virginia, Vermont, New York, New Hampshire and Minnesota. And the District of Columbia has a higher share than any state does. Many of those also have relatively high employment rates for people 25 to 34.

Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor

via Where the Jobs for the Young Are and Aren’t – NYTimes.com.