US / Trends in Employment Rates by Educational Attainment (video)

The employment to population ratio, also referred to as the employment rate, represents the proportion of the civilian population that is employed, and it is used as a measure of labor market conditions and the economy’s ability to provide jobs for a growing population. In this indicator, employment to population ratio and employment rate are used interchangeably. The employment to population ratio and unemployment rate are related. Movements in the unemployment rate reflect net changes in the number of people who are looking for work but are unable to find it, while movements in the employment to population ratio reflect whether the economy is generating jobs fast enough to provide employment for a constant proportion of the population. Further, changes in the employment to population ratio for a particular subgroup (e.g., male high school dropouts) indicate the economy’s performance in providing jobs for that particular group.

This spotlight examines employment rates between 1990 and 2012 for three age groups: young adults (those ages 20–24), 25- to 34-year-olds, and 25- to 64-year-olds. In 2012, the employment rate was 69 percent for young adults and 74 percent for 25- to 34-year-olds (see Digest of Education Statistics 2012, table 431). The employment rate for 25- to 64-year-olds overall (72 percent) was higher than the employment rate for young adults, but lower than the employment rate for 25- to 34-year-olds. This indicator also examines employment rates by educational attainment, which refers to the highest level of education achieved (i.e., less than high school completion, high school completion, some college, or a bachelor’s degree or higher).

via The Condition of Education – Spotlights – 2013 Spotlights – Trends in Employment Rates by Educational Attainment – Indicator May (2013).