Jobs & Unemployment

Unemployment and Education

Unemployment rates predictably vary based on education levels, since individuals with greater education tend to be more qualified for a wider array of jobs. In December 2012, those without high school diplomas had the highest unemployment rate at 11.7 percent. High school graduates with no college were nearly 4 percentage points lower, at 8.0 percent. Individuals with some college or an Associate’s Degree had an unemployment rate of 6.9 percent. And those with Bachelor’s Degrees or higher were the most likely to find work, with an unemployment rate of just 3.9 percent.

Jobs and Location

If you can’t find suitable work nearby, you might want to consider looking somewhere else in the country. With a still-high national unemployment rate, recent studies show that the types of positions available can vary largely based on region. Certain areas have significantly lower unemployment in specific fields. The Northeast needs more designers; companies in the South are looking for more marketing specialists; web developers do well in the Midwest; human resources assistants should look for work in the Rockies and Plains area; and financial analysts can find work on the West Coast.