OLYMPIA –At the height of the recession, the number of Washington jobs requiring a bachelor’s degree continued to grow while jobs in other education categories declined, according to new research by staff of the Higher Education Coordinating Board (HECB).
An analysis of Washington State Employment Security Department data shows that jobs at all education levels increased between 2006 and 2007, prior to the recession. However, between 2008 and 2009, Washington jobs in all education categories declined, except for those requiring bachelor’s degrees, which rose nearly 1 percent.
Jobs requiring less than a high school diploma fell 6 percent during this period, quickening a long downward trend. And jobs requiring graduate or professional degrees also declined 2.5 percent, possibly reflecting less demand in the banking and middle-management sectors.
“While the hunt for jobs remains difficult, even for many recent college graduates, the data show that employment prospects in Washington’s knowledge-driven economy are markedly better for those who have earned bachelor’s degrees,” said HECB Executive Director Don Bennett.
The research brief, titled “Job Growth: Why Increasing Educational Attainment is so Important for Creating Jobs,” was written by John Lederer, HECB Associate Director for Policy, Planning and Research. It is available at www.hecb.wa.gov/research/documents/ResearchBriefonJobGrowth-final.pdf.
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