Rethinking Underemployment: Are College Graduates Using Their Degrees?
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| Title: | Rethinking Underemployment: Are College Graduates Using Their Degrees? |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Jeff Strohl, Catherine Morris, Artem Gulish, Matthew Martinez, Georgetown University, Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW) |
| Source: | Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. 2026. |
| Availability: | Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. 3300 Whitehaven Street NW Suite 5000 Box 571444, Washington, DC 20057. Tel: 202-687-4922; Fax: 202-687-3110; e-mail: cewgeorgetown@georgetown.edu; Web site: http://cew.georgetown.edu |
| Peer Reviewed: | N |
| Page Count: | 36 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Sponsoring Agency: | Lumina Foundation Gates Foundation |
| Document Type: | Reports - Evaluative Numerical/Quantitative Data |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education |
| Descriptors: | College Graduates, Underemployment, Education Work Relationship, Bachelors Degrees, Income |
| Abstract: | As recent college graduates face a bumpy landing in the job market, concerns about underemployment--a phenomenon in which workers possess more education or skills than their jobs require--are growing. Published estimates of underemployment among those with bachelor's degrees range from 25 percent to 52 percent, highlighting just how difficult it is for researchers and policymakers to gauge the scope of the problem. While underemployment among college graduates is concerning, how pervasive is it? "Rethinking Underemployment: Are College Graduates Using Their Degrees?" sheds light on the difficulty of measuring underemployment and underscores the need for a common approach. The report examines three methodological approaches to measuring underemployment and considers how educational diversity within occupations and the bachelor's degree earnings premium affect estimates. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | ED680341 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | As recent college graduates face a bumpy landing in the job market, concerns about underemployment--a phenomenon in which workers possess more education or skills than their jobs require--are growing. Published estimates of underemployment among those with bachelor's degrees range from 25 percent to 52 percent, highlighting just how difficult it is for researchers and policymakers to gauge the scope of the problem. While underemployment among college graduates is concerning, how pervasive is it? "Rethinking Underemployment: Are College Graduates Using Their Degrees?" sheds light on the difficulty of measuring underemployment and underscores the need for a common approach. The report examines three methodological approaches to measuring underemployment and considers how educational diversity within occupations and the bachelor's degree earnings premium affect estimates. |
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